My name is Jason Kammerdiener, and I have grown up in an era in which the nearly dead American dream was revived by the rise of a new field of play: the Internet.
While corporate America continued (and continues) to put an end to American brick-and-mortar small businesses and startups, the Internet has provided a new, open field of play. Over the past 20 years this new medium has certainly given rise to its own corporate giants (Google, Amazon), but it has also created a sphere in which innumerable “little guys” have found their callings and fortunes, not because they were able to constrict the Internet, but because they were able to innovate around and expand on the Internet and all it has to offer.
From social media, to cloud storage, to collaborative tools, to online entertainment, to innovative and viral approaches to the news, the Internet has been a true land of opportunity for those with good ideas and the ability to execute.
The FCC proposal to allow fast-lanes for those who can pay is a clear, mortal threat to this opportunity. It is policy stating that existing wealth is valued more highly by our society than good ideas that can move us forward. Our laws and policies should fight to ensure that all businesses, individuals, and entrepreneurs have an equal opportunity to succeed and build a better society. Allowing “fast lanes” that unfairly disadvantage those unable to pay does the opposite.
To be sure there is no doubt: I am asking that net neutrality be protected by disallowing the proposed fast lanes. I also ask that Internet service be classified as a Title II common carrier to ensure that it remains equally accessible to all producers and consumers.
Finally, I ask that the same cover wireless/mobile broadband. Wireless/mobile is the latest frontier of the Internet, with the greatest potential for continued innovation and growth, and we should do everything we can to encourage innovation in this space universally, not just by the wealthiest corporations.
The deadline to provide your feedback to the FCC about their proposal that would end net neutrality is July 15, 2014. Learn more about how to submit your comment.