F EDERAL COMMUN ICATIONS COMM ISSION 
W ASH INGTON 
OrFICE OF 
THE CHAIRMAN 
The Honorable Martin Heinrich 
United States Senate 
702 Hart Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Senator Heinrich: 
July 16, 2014 
Thank you for writing to express your concerns regarding the need to reinstate rules to 
preserve an open Internet for all Americans as well as your request for a series of field hearings 
on the proposed rules. 
I share your sense of urgency on the open Internet. For this reason, I moved with 
dispatch to initiate a proceeding to consider new open Internet rules to replace those that were 
vacated by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in the Verizon case. As you know, the Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking ("Notice") adopted by the Commission in May 2014, begins that process. 
Therein, we ask a number of questions about the rules we need to adopt, as well as the 
appropriate legal foundation for such rules. Your letter touches on some of the most important 
issues presented in the Notice, and I will ensure that it is included in the record of the proceeding 
and considered as part of the Commission's review. 
The Commission has struggled for over a decade with how best to protect and promote an 
open Internet. While there has been bipartisan consensus, starting under the Bush 
Administration with Chairman Powell, on the importance of an open Internet to economic 
growth, investment, and innovation, we fmd ourselves today faced with the worst case scenario: 
we have no Open Internet rules in place to stop broadband providers from limiting Internet 
openness. The status quo is unacceptable. The Commission has already found, and the court has 
agreed, that broadband providers have economic incentives and technological tools to engage in 
behavior that can lim it Internet openness and harm consumers and competition. As such, the 
Commission must craft meaningful rules to protect the open Internet, and it must do so promptly. 
I can assure you that I will utilize the best tools available to me to ensure the Commission adopts 
effective and resilient open Internet rules. Unless and until the Commission adopts new rules, 
broadband providers wiJI be free to block, degrade, or otherwise disadvantage innovative 
services on the Internet without threat of sanction by the FCC. 
With respect to the legal foundation of the rules, I believe that the Section 706 framework 
set forth by the court provides us with the tools we need to adopt and implement robust and 
enforceable Open Internet rules. Nevertheless, as you specifically urge in your letter, the 
Commission is also seriously considering moving forward to adopt rules using Title II ofthe 
Communications Act as the foundation for our legal authority. The Notice seeks comment on the 
Page 2- The Honorable Martin Heinrich 
benefits of both Section 706 and Title II, including the benefits of one approach over the other, to 
ensure the Internet remains an open platform for innovation and expression. 
With respect to the substance of the rules, the proposals and questions in the Notice are 
designed to elicit a record that will give us a foundation to adopt strong, enforceable rules to 
protect the open Internet and prevent broadband providers from harming consumers or 
competition. I am especially sensitive to your concerns about paid prioritization arrangements, 
and the potential such arrangements have for creating an Internet that is fast for a few, and slow 
for everyone else. Let me be crystal clear: there must only be one Internet. It must be fast, 
robust, and open for everyone. The Notice addresses this issue head-on, even asking if paid 
prioritization should be banned outright. It also proposes clear rules of the road and aggressive 
enforcement to prevent unfair treatment of consumers, edge providers, and innovators. Small 
companies and startups must be able to reach consumers with their innovative products and 
services, and they must be protected against harmful conduct by broadband providers. 
The Notice includes a number of proposals designed to empower consumers and small 
businesses who may fmd themselves subject to harmful behavior by a broadband provider. For 
example, the Court of Appeals did uphold our existing transparency rule, and the Notice 
proposes to strengthen that rule to require that networks disclose any practices that could change 
a consumer's or a content provider's relationship with the network. The Notice proposes the 
creation of an ombudsperson to serve as a watchdog and advocate for start-ups, sma!J businesses, 
and consumers. And the Notice seeks comment on how to ensure that all parties, and especially 
small businesses and start-ups, have effective access to the Commission's dispute resolution and 
enforcement processes. 
This Notice is the first step in the process, and I look forward to comments from all 
interested stakeholders, including members of the general public, as we develop a fulsome record 
on the many questions raised in the Notice. lam actively listening to the public and stakeholders 
who are interested in sharing viewpoints on this issue in public and private forums both in 
Washington, D.C., and across the country. As you know, I recently visited New Mexico to 
participate in a public forum where questions and concerns about the need for an open Internet 
played a prominent role. I held on-the-record meetings with venture capitalists, start-up 
companies, and public interest groups last month in Northern California, and I am holding 
another series of meetings next week in New York City. My staff and I are in the midst of 
planning other events at which there will be ample opportunity for public input and dialogue. 
Moreover, in an effort to maximize public participation in this proceeding, we have 
established an Open Internet email address - openintemet@fcc.gov - to ensure that Americans 
who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in an FCC proceeding can make their 
voices heard. [n addition, to ensure sufficient opportunity for broad public comment, we have 
provided a lengthy comment and reply period through September 10, 2014, that will allow 
everyone an opportunity to participate. 
Page 3- The Honorable Martin Heinrich 
Again, I appreciate your deep interest in this matter and look forward to continued 
engagement with you as the proceeding moves forward . 
Sincerely, 
" ' ~!) 
@1.-
Tom Wheeler