A few months back, we voiced our concern over the proposed changes to net neutrality regulations. Quick refresher: net neutrality is good for business, and ending regulation of ISPs (think Time Warner, Comcast, Verizon, or whomever you pay for internet access) could have a seriously detrimental effect on your business. It means ISPs (internet service providers) would be allowed to create slow and fast lanes on the internet, or even cut deals that best serve their own bottom lines, while shutting out the “little guys” like us.
As you may have heard, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is continuing on its path to repeal net neutrality. But the small businesses, entrepreneurs, and doers like you whose livelihoods depend on the flow of a free and open internet can help stop this by getting a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution passed in Congress.
The first week of May is National Small Business Week and the perfect time to deliver an open letter from small businesses to our elected officials in Congress — just weeks before they’re expected to vote on the CRA to stop the FCC.
A full repeal of net neutrality will directly impact businesses of all types across the country, but it would be especially tough on those of us who rely on the internet for our livelihoods and need access to a free and open flow of information to be able to compete with much larger companies. With no strong net neutrality rules in place, internet providers will be able to throttle internet speeds, block sites and apps, and even charge fees for businesses to reach customers online.
The Senate will soon vote on the CRA to block the FCC’s repeal, and we need just one more senator’s vote to win. Pressure from businesses in lawmakers’ own districts is one of the best strategies for convincing hard-to-get members of Congress to buck partisan politics and side with the overwhelming majority of voters who want to see net neutrality preserved.
That’s why on May 2nd at noon local time, small business owners and net neutrality supporters will gather at Congressional offices across the country to deliver this letter. Between now and then, we need as many small businesses owners as possible signed on in support of the CRA.
To paraphrase one of music’s greatest doers, Jay-Z: “you’re not a businessman, you’re a business, man.”
Here’s two things you can do RIGHT NOW to help save net neutrality:
- If you run your own business, sign on to the open letter here
- Encourage others to do the same! Share the open letter on Facebook and Twitter
Killing net neutrality will have a broad impact on the entire economy, which is why small businesses — which create over 46 percent of our country’s economic output — should be on the front lines of saving it. Our community is made up of the perfect messengers for lawmakers who are still on the fence. Please join us in signing the open letter and taking a moment to share it on Facebook and Twitter.
Have questions about net neutrality? Ask us in the comments below!
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