C!rnngress of tf1e 11tniteh ~fates 11ma.sl1ington, ID([ 20515 The Honorable Ajit Pai Chai1man Federal Communications Commission 45 lih St. SW Washington, D.C. 20554 Dear Chairman Pai: December 12, 2017 We write to oppose the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ' s plan to repeal Title II protection for net neutrality. The recently circulated order would leave Internet users entirely without protections, jeopardizing free speech and our thriving Internet economy. Your plan is an arbitrary and capricious reversal of a law that has been upheld by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and enjoyed broad bipartisan support outside of Washington. Under the legal framework governing your agency, Title II is the best, most flexible, and indeed the only authority for protecting the open Internet. Undoing these protections will benefit only the largest Internet service providers (ISPs) at the expense of the rest of our country. Under the existing net neutrality regulations passed by the FCC in 2015, clear, bright-line rules prevent phone and cable companies from engaging in harmful behavior. Additional strong and flexible consumer protections currently prevent ISPs from interfering with Internet traffic. Under this most recent proposed rule, all of these protections are removed, leaving only meager transparency rules in place. This proposal leaves Internet users vulnerable to harmful conduct by ISPs, and indicates that the FCC trusts Internet service providers not to exploit their customers. Before the 2015 open Internet order, phone and Internet providers throttled access to websites, blocked content, and rigged the market in their favor.i We believe that without net neutrality in place, ISPs will almost certainly revert to their old conduct. Under the solid legal footing of Title II, the Internet has remained open for competition, innovation and creativity. Broadband investment has continued apace and Internet service provider revenues have continued to grow since the Commission issued its landmark decision in 2015. The argument that net neutrality is bad for business is false.ii Allowing providers to charge websites and application makers more for "fast lanes" for online traffic would give an unfair advantage to wealthy people and entrenched interests, and burden the rest of us with a slower Internet. It would create barriers for the web entrepreneurs, innovators and activists who have great ideas, but wouldn' t be able to compete on a pay-to-play Internet. PRINTED ON RECYCLEO PAPER 1083 Most importantly, strong net neutra]jty rules have worked to keep the Internet free from discrimination against users, regardless of their race or economic status. If Title II protections are voted away on December 14, access to the Internet could be stymied for marginalized groups and activists. We write to express our strong opposition to the FCC' s proposal to abdicate its responsibility under law to uphold Title II of the Communications Act. Voting to undo Title II protection for broadband Internet will leave consumers vulnerable to exploitation by ISPs, hinder innovation and free expression, and allow for discrimination against marginalized communities and activists. For these reasons, we urge the commjssion to not vote for this proposed rule on December 14, 2017. Sincerely, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-chair Congressional Progressive Caucus r ce F. Napolitano ember of Congress Member of Congress Co-chair Congressional Progressive Caucus fbAJ ~fu.!W& Bonnie Watson Coleman Member of Congress Member of Congress fPrr:¢:~ ember of Congress Member of Congress • Member of Congress ~.~M.C~ K:athilleM Clark \ Member of Congress rd& Chellie Pingree Member of Congress ichael E. Capuano Member of Congress ~J l+it- Jared iffman Member of Congress ~~- Robe:t. y" Scott Member of Congr ss Ro46;anna Member of Congress -~ ___ ()_/l_o_v~~~"-=- r Beto O'Rourke Member of Congress ~~ca_ Betty McCollum Member of Congress ? !\$a Of 'iJ.J.aJ. Ut(t- Rosa L. DeLauro Member of Congress Member of Congress onald S. Beyer Jr. Member of Congress fil~~ Member of Congress s~~ ........ -- Member of Congress of Congress Pramila Jayapal Member of Congress Michelle Lujan Grisham Member of Congress i https://www.freepress.net/blog/2017/04/25/net-neutralitv-violations-brief-hisloty ii http://www.busines.5insider.com/fccs-claim-that-broadband-investment-has-dropped-is-tlawed- 2017- 11