Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO
The extortion by Big Telecom on net neutrality
begins. AT&T was working on a plan to bring high-speed fiber optic internet to 100 cities, but has put the plan on ice. Company CEO Randall Stephenson says it's because the public is demanding net neutrality, and the Federal Communications Commission is considering doing it.
(Reuters) - AT&T Inc (T.N) will stop investing in new high-speed Internet connections in 100 U.S. cities until regulators decide whether to enact tough "net neutrality" rules proposed by President Obama, Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said on Wednesday. […]
"We can't go out and invest that kind of money deploying fiber to 100 cities not knowing under what rules those investments will be governed," Stephenson said at an analyst conference. […]
AT&T pushed back against Obama's comments on Monday and said it would take the government to court if the FCC follows through on his request.
Chances are pretty good AT&T will sue no matter what the FCC decides to do. It's all regulation Big Telecom doesn't want any part of, at all and to any degree. But here's the thing—the FCC can create the strongest legal case for net neutrality by doing what Obama called for: regulating internet access as an essential service, putting it under Title II of the Telecommunications Act so that it's treated more like telephone service than its current status as an information service like television or radio. So when the inevitable lawsuits over regulation come from Big Telecom, the FCC will have much stronger legal ground to stand on in defending net neutrality.
AT&T, though, is just flexing their muscles now, to prove to the FCC and Chairman Wheeler that they will be massive assholes over net neutrality, and they'll do it by screwing over their customers. The company's willingness to do so should be ample justification for the FCC to do the right thing and reclassify internet access.
Call the FCC. Tell them that you agree with President Obama that the FCC needs to pass strong net neutrality rules under Title II, and it should do so this year.