Net Neutrality Explained

[Eric J in MN]

Say NO to discrimination against websites by supporting "Net Neutrality."

From the Willamette Weekly of Portland, Oregon via mcjoan of "The Daily Kos:"

Here's the danger of life without net neutrality: Currently, an Internet service provider, or ISP, charges the companies whose sites it hosts, be they Google or Willamette Week, the same amount of money per byte that's transmitted. What Verizon, Qwest, BellSouth, Time Warner, SBC, Comcast and AT&T--the main supporters of the new telecom legislation and opponents of net neutrality--want is to charge content providers more for higher levels of service.

A news content site like The New York Times could sign a high-dollar agreement with an ISP for that fast service, making its competitors less appealing to the 80 percent of Americans who get their news online. How slow will rank-and-file websites be in that system? How easy will it be to read the liberal blogs or download the indie podcasts? That would be up to the ISPs.

Please phone your Senators' offices. Click this map for which way they're leaning and phone numbers.