02.26.15

Cantwell: Historic FCC Net Neutrality Rules Protect Innovation Economy

Senator: ‘Let’s keep an open internet, let’s have net neutrality be the law of the land, and I applaud the FCC for this historic decision today.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, a longtime supporter of Net Neutrality, applauded today’s decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that prohibits Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from throttling or blocking Internet traffic.

“Consumers all across America should applaud this decision, and I know they will be in the Pacific Northwest, because we will be protecting that aspect of our economy that has created thousands of jobs and millions of dollars for our economy,” Cantwell said.

“This is an important decision because it champions an open Internet economy that has enhanced so many new aspects of the way we communicate, the way we educate, the way we transact business around the globe.   What this decision says is let’s protect the open internet. Let’s not artificially tax it, let’s not artificially slow it down, let’s not artificially create two tiers and stymie innovation.”

Cantwell has been a leader in defending net neutrality and equal access for all Internet users. In January, Cantwell led a roundtable of technology companies and internet stakeholders to underscore the importance of net neutrality rules to the Internet economy. She also spearheaded a letter with 10 other Senators calling on Congressional leaders to preserve four tenets of net neutrality: No blocking content, no paid prioritization, no throttling, and greater transparency. 


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