Net Neutrality: We're Still Waiting

Today, Free Press released "In His Own Words: Julius Genachowski's Vision of Real
Net Neutrality," a brief report using the FCC chairman's statements to
illustrate the elements of a genuine open Internet policy.

Read the report here: https://www.freepress.net/files/In_His_Own_Words.pdf

Exactly a year ago in a major speech at the Brookings
Institution, Genachowski declared that without the fundamental
protection of Net Neutrality, "We could see the Internet's doors shut to
entrepreneurs, the spirit of innovation stifled, a full and free flow
of information compromised."

In the year since, however, the FCC has made little progress
on enacting clear rules of the road to protect Net Neutrality, instead
continuing to solicit input on questions that have already been asked
and answered. As Genachowski warned last September: "If we wait too long
to preserve a free and open Internet, it will be too late."

Today, Free Press also placed an ad in Politico,
calling on the FCC to stop delaying and start moving to restore the
FCC's authority to protect Internet users and enact strong Net
Neutrality safeguards.

View the ad here: https://www.freepress.net/files/FPAdPoliticoSept21.pdf

Josh Silver, president of Free Press, made the following statement:

"A year ago, Julius Genachowski warned us about what would
happen if we didn't act to preserve the free and open Internet. A year
later, we're still waiting. It's clear from his own statements that the
FCC chairman knows what meaningful rules look should like, but so far he
hasn't taken the actions needed to achieve his worthy vision.

"The Net Neutrality debate has been ongoing for many years,
and adequate information exists in the various dockets to give the FCC
guidance on writing fair rules of the road. The FCC can always find ways
to ask new questions -- but the basic answers haven't changed.

"It's time for the FCC chairman to stop dithering. That
means, first, restoring the FCC's authority to protect Internet users.
Then the FCC must enact Net Neutrality rules that safeguard the open
Internet for all users, no matter how they get online.

"The eventual outcome of the FCC's open Internet efforts --
and Chairman Julius Genachowski's legacy as FCC chairman -- must be
judged on whether they result in real, effective open Internet policy.
The threats to the open Internet are real, and we cannot wait much
longer for him to act."