Last Thursday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that some broadband aspects would be reclassified as Title II Universal Services. After earlier indications that he might do just the opposite, this was good news for rural communities, and low-income and communities of color. It means the FCC is reclaiming its authority to protect the Internet and ensure open access for everyone – the kinds of priorities outlined in the recently released broadband plan.
It was also a victory for hundreds of grassroots organizations like Main Street Project who stepped up make sure the FCC knew how much was at stake. As part of Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net), we successfully helped mobilize more than a million voices through e-mails, calls, letters, videos, blogs, media appearances and more. Steven Renderos, Main Street Project organizer, and Amalia Deloney, board member and MAG-Net coordinator made the case for action clearly in their May 4 blog post, Yes We Won’t? (also posted on Feministing, MAG-Net, Imagine 2050, and CommonDreams.org).
Of course the fight for an Open Internet isn’t over. Here’s how Timothy Karr from Free Press and SaveTheInternet.com summed things up in a May 7 Huffington Post blog post:
In an age when corporations can spend limitless sums to influence policy, strong arm bureaucrats and sway election outcomes, the public must stand together in defense of the only open communications platform we have left.
Big Telecom may have more money, but we have more voices.
