Washington – New York leaders are hosting a hearing tonight on two pending FCC decisions that would impact Internet Users in their state – preserving the Open Internet and stopping the Comcast-Time Warner merger. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New York City Mayoral Counsel Maya Wiley and former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps are hosting a public hearing in Brooklyn, NY, on the upcoming challenges to the right to connect and communicate.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has filed comments supporting the FCC using its strongest legal authority under Telecom Act (Title II) to establish enforceable Open Internet rules and has encouraged the FCC itself to hold forums like this one to get the perspective of those outside Washington.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Ed Black:
“It’s encouraging that Internet users are raising their voices against these threats to the Open Internet and that public officials are listening. Now is the time for the FCC to step up to the plate and prevent the control of the Internet by dominant, abusive players. If the FCC bends to corporate pressure to adopt weak Open Internet rules and allow further consolidation of power through mergers, these companies could easily become gatekeepers of content with little accountability or redress.”
For more on the FCC’s Open Internet challenges see Black’s Huffington Post op ed and infographic on the players involved.