The Republican-run FCC, headed by former Verizon shill and current big telecom shill Ajit Pai, is going to go ahead and end the net neutrality rules put into place under the Obama administration. The big lie being told to the public is that rules equal regulations and regulations are bad for business, and business is good for everybody. Anyone with a passing understanding of the history of anything knows that this is what can be called the opposite of the truth. Arstechnica reports that lo and behold! Comcast is goose-stepping away from old promises!
But with Republican Ajit Pai now in charge at the Federal Communications Commission, Comcast's stance has changed. While the company still says it won't block or throttle Internet content, it has dropped its promise about not instituting paid prioritization.
Instead, Comcast now vaguely says that it won't "discriminate against lawful content" or impose "anti-competitive paid prioritization." The change in wording suggests that Comcast may offer paid fast lanes to websites or other online services, such as video streaming providers, after Pai's FCC eliminates the net neutrality rules next month.
But don’t worry, Comcast had nothing more to say about it when asked directly.
We contacted Comcast today to ask how it defines "anti-competitive paid prioritization." A spokesperson did not answer that question but referred us back to previous Comcast statements on the topic.
Comcast's promise not to "discriminate" suggests that its paid prioritization would be available to anyone who wants it and can afford it. Offering paid fast lanes to anyone at similar rates could help prevent the Federal Trade Commission from stepping in to block unfair trade practices.
So continue that simple conversation with those conservative relatives, explaining to them that even the most “fiscal” and “economically anxious” of us can agree on the need for net neutrality rules. And make your voice heard and add your name to the hundreds of thousands of people fighting for our open internet.