Tag Archives: Network neutrality

An exciting new ally joined the fight to stop AT&T’s dangerous merger with T-Mobile: the United Stated Department of Justice. Arguing that the merger would crush competition and lead to higher prices, the DOJ filed a lawsuit in Federal court to block the merger, dealing it a major blow.1

This is an important victory in our fight to protect the ability of poor folks and communities of color to use the Internet to make a better life for themselves. If AT&T were allowed to purchase T-Mobile, it would have a terrible impact on jobs, affordability, and Internet freedom.

Instead, the case will take months to wind its way through the court system. And the Federal Communications Commission, which also has authority over the proposed deal, has publicly indicated its own deep misgivings.2 None of this could have happened without the massive public outcry from ColorOfChange members, and our friends and allies. Thank you.

This fight isn’t over yet. We can’t predict how the lawsuit will turn out, and it’s important that we remain vigilant. AT&T is expected to fight the DOJ’s decision tooth and nail, and it remains possible that the DOJ and AT&T could hammer out a deal that leads the DOJ to drop its opposition. And 76 Democratic members of Congress are still on record supporting the deal. It’s critical that we continue to expose their false arguments in support of the merger and keep pushing them to withdraw their support.

AT&T has spent millions on lobbying and PR to advance its agenda, and it will continue to use its vast resources to twist the facts and mislead the public. Our work is powered by you, our members, and we need your support to keep fighting back. Your voice has been a powerful force in this fight. If you can also support our work financially, in any amount, please click the link below:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

We’ll

be sure keep you up to date with any new opportunities to take action. At ColorOfChange, we will continue to stand up for everyone’s right to access a free and open Internet, and we hope you will continue to be there with us.

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
September 2nd, 2011

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

References:

1. “U.S. sues to block AT&T buying T-Mobile,” MarketWatch, 8-31-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/952?akid=2150.1174326.zFs-xm&t=4

. “FCC Still Reviewing AT&T’s T-Mobile Deal After Justice’s Antitrust Action,” Bloomberg, 8-31-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/953?akid=2150.1174326.zFs-xm&t=6

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A really, really bad idea …Al Franken

08/25/2011 Nativegrl77

If you’ve been keeping up with the fight to stop media consolidation, you know what we’re worried about: the prospect of just a few enormous corporations controlling the flow of information in America.

That’s why the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile is a really, really bad idea.

It would create a wireless juggernaut so powerful that only Verizon could hope to compete (Sprint would likely wither away or get eaten up by one of the new Big Two). These two monoliths could raise prices or reduce the quality of service with no concern that their customers will go somewhere else — because there won’t be anywhere else for them to go. This is bad for consumers, obviously — but it’s also bad for an industry so critical to our economy.

Meanwhile, the merger would be a bad blow for net neutrality, allowing the Big Two unprecedented control over what content we can access on wireless networks — and at what speed.

And if that weren’t enough, AT&T estimates that it will save $3 billion a year in “operational savings” and “cost synergies,” which sounds to me like layoffs, and lots of them — maybe thousands or even tens of thousands of lost jobs.

Let’s see — higher prices, worse service, less innovation, reduced competition, AND lost jobs? Sounds like a really, really bad idea to me.

I’m going to fight this merger, and I hope you’re ready to help. Stay tuned.

Thanks,

PS: Our efforts are not funded by corporations and massive unlimited contributions, we rely on small individual donations from supporters like you. Can you pitch in $5 or $10 to help us keep growing our grassroots team?

~ my 2cents ...

This week in the Senate … the Republican led House

04/05/2011 Nativegrl77

This Week –

**Monday in the Senate: Confirmation of Executive Calendar, Jimmie V. Reyna, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge;

Confirmed: 86-0 … First Latino on Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

**S.493 small biz –High Tech Start Ups

**GOP submits FY2012 Budget

**H.R4, 1099 Repeal HC Law Tax Reporting Rule

**Negotiations on amendments resume

**Net Neutrality and EPA

This Week –

**Monday in the House: H.R. 1246 to reduce the amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Defense for printing and reproduction

**HRes 200 Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 37) disapproving the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to regulating the Internet and broadband industry practices.

**Leaders are at the White House discussing the Budget – Boehner and his Freshman Tea Party members?

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Republicans vote to eliminate net neutrality

02/24/2011 Nativegrl77

By now you may have heard the news: Republicans in the House of Representatives voted last week to block the FCC from enforcing its new net neutrality regulations.

As I’ve said before, these regulations weren’t nearly good enough to ensure that the Internet remains free and open. But they were a step in the right direction. And by voting to eliminate them, House Republicans declared their willingness to let big corporations control the Internet.

We know what this could mean for American consumers — less diversity of viewpoints, less access to independent content through services like Netflix, and higher prices for Internet service.

The good news is that the Senate still has a chance to stop this special interest power play. I’m working as hard as I can to build support for net neutrality in the Senate — but I’m not the only one talking to my colleagues. These corporations have lobbyists of their own, lots of them, and they’re descending upon Capitol Hill en masse.

The only way we’re going to save net neutrality is if ordinary Americans make their voices heard. I’ll update you soon — but for now, please forward this email to your friends and ask them to join our campaign by linking up with me on Twitter or Facebook.

Thanks — and stay tuned.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

FCC

12/21/2010 Nativegrl77

BREAKING: Minutes ago, the FCC passed new rules — written by corporations — that will end Net Neutrality. For the first time in history, the U.S. government approved corporate censorship of the Internet, putting the future of online free speech at risk. Unbelievably, the person leading the charge was Obama appointee Julius Genachowski.

This violates President Obama’s campaign promise to protect Net Neutrality, but some media are reporting the corporate spin that this is a “Net Neutrality compromise.” It’s not — there’s no such thing as half a First Amendment. We need to set the record straight.

If you’re on Twitter, please click to share this: NEWS: @FCC breaks Obama promise, allows corporate censorship – no Net Neutrality rules. 3 things to know: bit.ly/eVKyWH @WhiteHouse

If you’re on Facebook, click here to spread the word.

By sharing, you can help us spread the top 3 reasons the rules passed today are a giveaway to big corporations and break Obama’s promise:

They enshrine different rules for wired and wireless Internet — allowing big corporations to censor on your mobile phone
They allow corporations to set up tollbooths online, stifling new innovators like the next YouTube who can’t pay the fees the old, crusty corporations can pay
For the first time, they embrace a “public Internet” for regular people vs. a “private Internet” with all the new innovations for corporations who pay more — ending the Internet as we know it

A more detailed explanation is here. Please pass this email to your friends so they know not to believe the corporate spin.

And click here to share on Twitter and here to share on Facebook.

Thanks for being a bold progressive,

Jason Rosenbaum, Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, and the PCCC team