‘The Internet Is Still Working’

‘The Internet Is Still Working’ Democrats Declared Rolling Back Heavy-Handed FCC ‘Net Neutrality’ Regulations Would Be ‘The End Of The Internet As We Know It’ But Over A Year Later, ‘That’s Proved Flatly False’

FCC CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI: “We were told for many months that this decision would be, quote, ‘the end of the Internet as we know it,’ and if this decision passed, you would get the Internet one word at a time. That’s proved flatly false…. The Internet is still working. It is open and free.” (U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Hearing, 8/16/2018)

“The US House of Representatives today voted to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules …” (“House Votes To Restore Net Neutrality As White House Threatens Trump Veto,” Ars Technica, 4/10/2019)

• CHAIRMAN PAI: “Most people, I think, accurately view it as more of a political strategy, as opposed to solv[ing] a concrete problem…. I favor a free and open internet…. A lot of the hysterical predictions of doom have been demonstrated [to be] false.” (“In Camden, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Blasts New Net Neutrality Proposal,” Technical.ly Philly, 3/13/2019)

In Fact, ‘U.S. Internet Speeds Rose Nearly 40 Percent’ During The Year Following The FCC Repeal Of Obama-Era Regulations
RECODE: “U.S. internet speeds rose nearly 40 percent this year” (“U.S. Internet Speeds Rose Nearly 40 Percent This Year,” Recode, 12/12/2018)

• “Finally some good news: The internet is getting faster, especially fixed broadband internet. Broadband download speeds in the U.S. rose 35.8 percent and upload speeds are up 22 percent from last year …” (“U.S. Internet Speeds Rose Nearly 40 Percent This Year,” Recode, 12/12/2018)
• “Broadband speed growth is also outpacing mobile.” (“U.S. Internet Speeds Rose Nearly 40 Percent This Year,” Recode, 12/12/2018)
• “The growth in speed is important as the internet undergirds more of our daily lives and the wider economy. As internet service providers continue building out fiber networks around the country, expect speeds to increase …” (“U.S. Internet Speeds Rose Nearly 40 Percent This Year,” Recode, 12/12/2018)

‘The Internet Isn’t Drastically Different,’ And Regulation Proponents’ Extreme Scenarios Are ‘Something That Simply Hasn’t Happened’
THE WASHINGTON POST FACT CHECKER: “[W]e’ve spilled a lot of pixels here analyzing something that simply hasn’t happened…. Senate Democrats, industry leaders and net neutrality activists say the FCC’s move to toss out the Obama-era rules will bog down and end the Internet as we know it…. For now, though, there’s scant evidence that Internet users should brace for a slowdown. Yet the Democrats’ tweet conveys the false impression that a slowdown is imminent unless net neutrality rules are restored. This transmission error merits Three Pinocchios …” (“Will The FCC’s Net Neutrality Repeal Grind The Internet To A Halt?,” The Washington Post’s Fact Checker Blog, 3/05/2018)

WIRED: “It’s been one year since the Federal Communications Commission voted to gut its net neutrality rules. The good news is that the internet isn’t drastically different than it was before.” (“A Year Without Net Neutrality: No Big Changes (Yet),” 12/14/2018)

"‘[N]et neutrality’ was a nonissue in the Democratic midterm campaigns. One party official said that Dems didn’t campaign on it because: ‘It’s not something that people bring up in their top list of concerns.’” (Editorial, “One Year Later, ‘Net Neutrality’ Zealots Proved Dead Wrong,” Investor’s Business Daily, 1/04/2019)

Despite Democrats’ Apocalyptic Rhetoric, None Of Their Doomsday Scenarios Came To Pass
SENATE DEMOCRATS: “If we don’t save net neutrality, you’ll get the internet one word at a time.” (@SenateDems, Twitter, 2/27/2018)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): “This is the end of the internet as we know it.” (Sen. Sanders, @SenSanders, Twitter, 12/14/2017)

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY): “Changing open internet rules threatens our freedom of speech.” (Sen. Gillibrand, @SenGillibrand, Twitter, 7/20/2017)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): “Getting rid of #NetNeutrality would be a terrible mistake that would hurt the most vulnerable and voiceless among us. It will imperil our economy while reducing innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.” (Sen. Harris, @KamalaHarris, Twitter, 11/25/2017)

SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ (D-HI): “This week the FCC will vote to roll back #netneutrality protections, ending the free and open internet as we know it. This move will take away your ability to use the internet the way you want to …” (Sen. Schatz, @SenBrianSchatz, Twitter, 12/13/2017)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): “Ending #NetNeutrality … will only benefit the handful of giant companies that will block, filter, or charge more for what we do online.” (Sen. Warren, @SenWarren, Twitter, 11/21/2017)

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D-OR): “[A]n outrageous attack on our free and open internet …” (Sen. Merkley, Press Release, 12/14/2017)

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): “… a threat to our democracy…. It promotes discrimination and inequity … Simply put, restricting the internet hurts our democracy and undermines justice and opportunity.” (Rep. Jayapal, @RepJayapal, Twitter, 12/14/2017)

REP. DAVID CICILLINE (D-RI): “… ends the era of the open internet. Ending net neutrality will allow internet service providers to slow speeds on certain websites, charge new fees, and even block websites altogether.” (“Cicilline: FCC Vote Means Death Of ‘Open Internet,’” Providence Journal, 12/14/2017)

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