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Stop Republicans’ power grab on internet

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is following through on his pledge to repeal 2015 regulations designed to ensure that internet service providers treat all online content and apps equally.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is following through on his pledge to repeal 2015 regulations designed to ensure that internet service providers treat all online content and apps equally. AP file

A Republican’s worst nightmare? A part of society that hasn’t been monetized.

Healthcare? Monetize it.

Education? Monetize it.

Prison system? Monetize it.

War? Monetize it.

The latest casualty of the Republican greed machine? The internet.

The impeding vote by the Federal Communications Commission to end net neutrality is a gift to the major telecom companies.

Want to boost your small business by creating a website? Better pay all the major ISPs extra to ensure that the connection to your website isn’t slowed down.

Creating content that competes with one of the many properties owned by Comcast? Sorry, they just blocked access to your website.

Want to FaceTime a loved one who can’t make it home for the holidays? Whoops, forgot to pay for the extra package that allows you to FaceTime.

Those responsible for the end of net neutrality will pass themselves off as great innovators who created a new industry.

In reality, they are guilty of the same old Republican scheme: use an existing institution to profit off of the masses.

Conlan Simons, Clovis

This story was originally published November 24, 2017 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Stop Republicans’ power grab on internet."

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