Why should you care? Do you use the internet?

Protections set up during the prior administration to ensure net neutrality are being rolled back by current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (formerly of Verizon). It is crucial to protect equal access for all consumers and smaller content-providers (i.e. small business, start-ups, entrepreneurs).

While some of the wealthiest content-providers may not like this roll back, they can afford to pay elite tolls for access to consumers (you and I). However, we may see slowdowns in ISP service for certain content (streaming, social media, blogging, etc). It borders on censorship in effectively making certain content less accessible than others.

We, as consumers, need to stand up and support traditional net neutrality. ISPs want to essentially “double dip,” charging you for the data services and charging content providers for usage under threat of slowing them down. Ultimately, costs will be passed on to consumers, as content providers large and small defray the costs of doing business.

Get involved. Tell Ajit Pai of the FCC how you feel on his Twitter or call the FCC 1-888-225-5322, write them and your state representatives. Don’t sit by and grumble later about your cable/internet/streaming service bills going up.

If you don’t fight it, pay up.

— Dan Paholski

Salisbury