Net Neutrality is a critical part of our democracy.
A free and open internet is under threat from large tech monopolies and the politicians that they fund. At the federal level, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now under the control of former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai. One of the first things Mr. Pai did was to reverse protections put in place by the Obama administration.
Instead of requiring internet service providers (ISPs) to treat all data as equal, the new FCC is allowing large companies to decide what you can access. Instead of allowing a democratic internet, companies like AT&T want to control what you read, watch, and learn. If we don’t give the people a voice, we will face a future of high costs, slower speeds, and restricted choice.
Network neutrality—the idea that Internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data that travels over their networks fairly, without improper discrimination in favor of particular apps, sites or services—is a principle that must be upheld to protect the future of our open Internet. – Electronic Frontier Foundation
Despite the exponential innovations that we have seen since the internet became publicly available, we have not seen the same growth in competition. Most neighborhoods have only one or two major providers to choose from. And despite being the home of the most successful technology companies in the world, California ranks 12th in internet connectedness.
This is a national problem too. Americans pay more for slower broadband speeds. We invented the internet, but we rank 10th in speed. And we are 114th in terms of cost, making the US the most expensive developed nation for internet service.
Without regulation large companies will continue to drive up costs and underdeliver service.
The democratizing power of information is being restrained by billion dollar companies, but California can fight back. As the most populous state we have an incredible amount of power that we can exercise.
Senate Bill 822 is “the gold standard” of state level net neutrality bills. It was finally passed by the California legislature and signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2018. But its path to becoming law is a lesson in how big money continues to stand in the way of progress.
SB 822 was first proposed by California Senator Scott Wiener in 2018. Immediately it was praised as an effective way to push back on the Trump administration’s attack on net neutrality. It passed through the Senate and went to the Assembly.
It was in the Assembly where the trouble began. When the bill went before the Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance the chair, Miguel Santiago, introduced midnight amendments. These amendments removed restrictions on ISPs ability to throttle or restrict certain websites. Santiago takes donations from the largest telecoms in the country, like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon.
After weeks of negotiation the strong language was restored to the bill. It was then combined with Kevin de León’s SB 642 that would stop the state of California from doing business with companies that do not follow strong net neutrality rules.
In October of 2018 Governor Brown signed the restored bill. But the damage was already done. Major telecoms showed their power and the representatives who take their donations showed their willingness to cooperate. Ultimately, it took both major public outrage and political courage to win.
We know that AT&T and Comcast will spend huge money to fight consumer protections. They will buy ads to scare consumers. They will have their lobbyists flood the airwaves. They will push amendments through committees in the middle of the night.
Now that net neutrality is the law in California we need to protect it, from the Trump FCC and the large ISPs. But this is just the beginning, we need to push for more. Rural communities still have less internet access than they should. ISPs push rates higher while neglecting to upgrade their infrastructure. Companies like Google and Amazon collect private data to monetize with no oversight. The gig economy uses the internet to push down wages and exploit workers. California must lead the nation in an internet that builds communities, not one that erodes them.
Freedom of information is paramount in our fight for a better democracy. We know that it’s only a matter of time until Comcast calls in another favor. Without committed representatives in the Assembly, all this effort will be rolled back.