Al Franken spoke today with clarity and vision regarding the role of the FCC and his hopes that the cable industry will not be able to exercise vertical control of the net, from the bandwidth to the content. Long story short… the Comcast/NBC merger must not be allowed to happen!! The following transcript is choppy, but the video of the speech at the preceding link is very powerful. I hope people can watch it and share it. I hope someone can put it on Youtube!
SENATOR FRANKEN:
MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE GROWING THREAT OF IT CORPORATE CONTROL ON THE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN THIS COUNTRY.
07:40:13 WE NEED TO BE DOING ANYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AND REDUCE THE THREAT FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
07:40:22 WHILE WE DEBATE THESE ISSUES IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC, BEHIND THE SCENES AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY, THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION IS ABOUT TO DECIDE TWO DISTINCT BUT VERY CLOSELY RELATED ISSUES THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY THE WAY WE GET OUR ENTERTAINMENT, THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE WAY WE USE THE INTERNET.
07:40:48 THE FIRST MATTER BEFORE THE F.C.C. IS THE PROPOSED MERGER OF COMCAST AND NBC UNIVERSAL.
07:40:57 THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU HEAR FROM INDUSTRY, THIS MERGER WILL BE BAD FOR CONSUMERS AND ON MANY LEVELS SMS IT WILL ALLOW COMCAST TO EXPLOIT NBC UNIVERSAL’S CONTENT, CHARGE OTHER CABLE NETWORKS MORE FOR ACCESS TO NBC SHOWS AND MOVIES.
07:41:18 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WILL DO?
07:41:23 IT WILL RAISE YOUR CABLE BILLS.
07:41:25 AND NBC UNIVERSAL, WHICH ACTUALLY OWNS 37 BROADCAST OR CABLE NETWORKS, WILL BE FAVORED BY COMCAST TO THE EXCLUSION OF NETWORKS.
07:41:35 OTHER INDEPENDENT OR COMPETING THIS MEANS THAT COMCAST WILL PAY LESS TO CARRY CHANNELS LIKE THE DISCOVERY NETWORK, THE FOOD CHANNEL, BLOOMBERG, OR THE TENNIS CHANNEL, THREATENING THEIR FINANCIAL VIABILITY, OR THESE CHANNELS WILL BE RELEGATED TO THE GRAVEYARD AROUND CHANNEL 690 OR 691.
07:41:59 OR 692.
07:42:01 OR CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO PAY EVEN MORE EACH MONTH TO BUY ACCESS TO THESE CHANNELS.
07:42:08 THIS IS BAD FOR CONSUMERS BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO PUT MANY BUSINESS.
07:42:12 OF THESE NETWORKS OUT OF THAT MEANS LESS CHOICE AND MORE COMCAST/NBC PROGRAMMING.
07:42:21 BUT IT DOESN’T END THERE.
07:42:22 COMCAST ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE NATION’S LEADING WIRELINE BROADBAND INTERNET PROVIDER WHICH MEANS THIS SINGLE COMPANY WILL BOTH OWN THE PROGRAMMING AND RUN THE PIPES THAT BRING US THAT PROGRAMMING.
07:42:34 HERE AGAIN COMCAST WILL BE ABLE TO USE ITS OVERWHELMING MARKET SHARE AND IN MANY MARKETS IT’S NEAR NONE MONOPOLY IN THE INTERNET BUSINESS TO FAVOR ITS OWN VIDEO SERVICES.
07:42:48 SAY, ITS ON-DEMAND SERVICES OVER COMPANIES LIKE NET FEDERALISM THEIR — NETFLIX THAT WERE CHEAPER AND WOULD OTHERWISE WIN UPON AN OVERALL PLAYING FIELD.
07:43:01 THESE ARE OWL ALL PROBLEMS WITH THE OVERALL DEAL BUT IT MAY BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND SO LET ME TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO TO MAKE THIS MORE CONCRETE.
07:43:11 I ASK THE PEOPLE SITTING IN THE GALLERY, THE SENATE STAFF WATCHING THIS SPEERCHTION AND EVERYONE AT HOME IN MINNESOTA — THIS SPEECH, AND EVERYONE AT HOME IN MINNESOTA, HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE YOUR CABLE AND INTERNET PROVIDER?
07:43:24 WHEN YOU CALL COMCAST OR VERIZON OR AT&T ABOUT A PROBLEM, HOW MANY OF YOU GET GOOD SERVICE?
07:43:31 HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE THE PRICES YOU PAY?
07:43:35 WHEN YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR BROADBAND AND COMCAST TELLS YOU THAT THEY AREN’T SURE WHEN THEY CAN COME TO INSTALL YOUR SERVICE AND THEN FINALLY YOU GET AN APPOINTMENT AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE A DAY OFF FROM WORK TO WAIT BETWEEN 9:00 A.M. AND 2:00 P.M. FOR A REPAIRMAN TO COME AND THEN HE DOESN’T COME, IS THAT HOW YOU FEEL YOU DESERVE TO BE TREATED?
07:44:00 ARE YOU GETTING GOOD SERVICE?
07:44:03 WHEN YOU CALL VERIZON AND SPEND SO 10 MINUTES LISTENING TO AUTOMATED MESSAGES AND PRESSING NUMBERS TO DIRECT YOU TO MORE AUTOMATED MESSAGES AND THEN FINALLY, FINALLY YOU GET A HUMAN BEING ON THE LINE, BUT THAT PERSON TELLS YOU THAT HE OR SHE CAN’T HELP YOU AND YOU GET PUT ON HOLD AGAIN; IS THAT HOW YOU DESERVE TO BE TREATED?
07:44:28 SERVICE?
07:44:30 WHO WHEN YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH WITH BAD SERVICE AND RAPIDLY RISING BILLS ANTS YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER COMPANY, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE FOUND THAT YOU DON’T HAVE ANOTHER CHOICE, THAT THERE IS NO OTHER CABLE PROVIDER IN YOUR AREA?
07:44:47 WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW COMCAST HAS ABOUT 23 MILLION CABLE SUBSCRIBERS AND ABOUT 16 MILLION INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS.
07:44:56 THEY ARE ALREADY THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF CABLE SERVICE TO AMERICANS BY A VERY LARGE MARGIN, AND IN SOME AREAS THEY HAVE A TOTAL MONOPOLY.
07:45:06 THIS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IS WHAT CABLE AND INTERNET CUSTOMER SERVICE IS LIKE TODAY.
07:45:13 DO YOU THINK THAT MERGING THE SINGLE-LARGEST CABLE PROVIDER, WHICH IS ALSO THE LARGEST WIRELINE INTERNET PROVIDER, WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST TV AND MOVIE STUDIOS IN THE COUNTRY WILL MAKE ANY OF THIS BETTER?
07:45:28 DO YOU THINK IT WILL LEAD TO LOWER PRICES ON YOUR CABLE AND INTERNET BILLS?
07:45:36 DO YOU THINK IT WILL MEAN MORE CHOICE FOR WHAT YOU CAN WATCH AND DOWNLOAD AT HOME?
07:45:41 DO YOU THINK IT WILL MEAN BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE?
07:45:44 I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS IS NO, NO, NO AND NO.
07:45:56 WE COUNT ON COMPETITION IN THIS COUNTRY TO KEEP CORPORATIONS IN CHECK, AND WE HAVE DESIGNED ANTITRUST LAWS TO ENSURE THAT COMPANIES ARE NOT GETTING TOO BIG OR TOO POWERFUL.
07:46:09 THESE LAWS WERE DESIGNED TO PROTECT CONSUMERS BECAUSE THE ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUT CORPORATIONS IS THAT THEY ARE CREATED TO MAXIMIZE SHAREHOLDER PROFIT, NOT TO PROTECT CONSUMERS, AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
07:46:25 WE WANT CORPORATIONS TO GROW AND CREATE JOBS AND PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES.
07:46:29 THERE ARE SOME GREAT CORPORATIONS BASED IN MINNESOTA, LIKE GENERAL MILLS AND 3M.
07:46:38 IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING CHEERIOS AND POST-IT NOTES, MINNESOTANS TO WORK.
07:46:42 THESE COMPANIES PUT A LOT OF BUT WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING FOR CEREAL, YOU HAVE A LOT OF CHOICE.
07:46:48 GENERAL MILLS MAY PRODUCE CHEERIOS, BUT THEY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH COMPANIES LIKE KELLOGG’S WHICH MAKES CORN FLAKES AND POST WHICH MAKES FRUITY PEBBLES, AND THEY ALL HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THE STORE OR VALUE BRANDS.
07:47:03 LET’S LOOK AT ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE BENEFITS OF COMPETITION.
07:47:08 WHEN YOU GO OUT FOR DINNER AT A RESTAURANT, YOU USUALLY HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS.
07:47:12 I’M GUESSING YOU DON’T GO BACK TO THE RESTAURANT THAT SERVED YOU LIMP LETTUCE, MEDIOCRE MEATLOAF AND COLD, LUMPY MASHED POTATOES.
07:47:21 AND I’M GUESSING YOU WOULDN’T GO BACK IF THEY TOLD YOU YOU WOULD BE SERVED SOMETIME BETWEEN 9:00 A.M. AND 2:00 P.M.
07:47:27 UNFORTUNATELY, YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE THAT KIND OF CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR CABLE AND INTERNET SERVICE, AND THIS IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE IF THE F.C.C.
07:47:38 ALLOWS THE MERGER BETWEEN COMCAST AND NBC UNIVERSAL TO SAIL THROUGH.
07:47:45 IT’S COMPETITION AND REGULATION WHERE THERE ISN’T COMPETITION THAT KEEPS CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE TO CONSUMERS.
07:47:52 BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
07:47:55 YOU CAN ALREADY SEE WHAT COMCAST HAS UP ITS SLEEVE.
07:47:58 IF THE MERGER IS ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE CAN EXPECT COMCAST TO FAVORITES OWN CONTENT AND LEAVE CONSUMERS WITH LESS CHOICE.
07:48:08 TAKE THE TENNIS CHANNEL WHICH FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST COMCAST EARLIER THIS YEAR.
07:48:13 IT ALLEGED THAT COMCAST HAS BEEN FAVORING THE GULF CHANNEL AND ITS OWN SPORTS CHANNEL VERSES BY MAKING THOSE CHANNELS AVAILABLE AS PART OF ITS BASIC CABLE PACKAGE WHILE PUTTING THE TENNIS CHANNEL ON A SO-CALLED PREMIUM TIER.
07:48:29 IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU GET CABLE FROM COMCAST, YOU GET THE GOLF CHANNEL AND VERSUS FOR FREE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN ON THE TENNIS CHANNEL, YOU NEED TO PAY ANOTHER ANOTHER $5, $8 PER MONTH.
07:48:44 YET, COMCAST PAYS THE TENNIS CHANNEL ONLY A FRACTION OF WHAT IT PAYS ITSELF TO CARRY THE GOLF CHANNEL OR VERSUS, WHICH ARE MUCH LESS POPULAR.
07:48:56 I FEAR THAT THIS IS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME.
07:49:00 AS MEDIA CONGLOMERATES GET BIGGER AND BIGGER, THEY HAVE EVERY INCENTIVE TO MAKE THEIR OWN CONTENT EASIER AND CHEAPER CONTENT.
07:49:08 TO ACCESS THAN EVERYONE ELSE’S NOW, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF THIS MERGER, AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I KEEP HEARING?
07:49:18 BUSINESSES AND CABLE PROGRAMMERS DO YOU KNOW WHAT SMALL ARE TELLING ME?
07:49:24 THEY ARE COMING TO MY OFFICE DISCRETELY AND SAYING THAT THEY OPPOSE THE MERGER BUT THAT THEY CAN’T SPEAK OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE COMCAST.
07:49:38 WORRIED ABOUT RETALIATION FROM AND TO ME, THAT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF A COMPANY WITH TOO MUCH MARKET SHARE.
07:49:48 COMCAST HAS PUT OUT THE WORD THAT THIS MERGER IS A FAIT ACCOMPLI.
07:49:53 THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED A SLATE OF 43 OFFICERS FOR NBC, DESPITE PROMISING TO REFRAIN FROM DOING SO UNTIL THE REVIEW OF THIS MERGER IS COMPLETE.
07:50:04 SO IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT SMALL AND SOME NOT SO SMALL CABLE NETWORKS SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND AREN’T WILLING TO TAKE THE CHANCE OF OPPOSING THIS DEAL PUBLICLY, AGAIN FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION FROM COMCAST, AND THEY’RE PROBABLY RIGHT.
07:50:22 IF THIS DEAL GOES THROUGH, COMCAST WILL HAVE THE POWER TO PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS.
07:50:28 IF YOU ARE A CABLE NETWORK AND YOU KNEW THAT, WOULD YOU STAND UP AND COMPLAIN TO THE F.C.C.
07:50:33 ABOUT COMCAST?
07:50:34 PROBABLY NOT.
07:50:36 THIS TYPE OF ANTICOMPETITIVE CONDUCT IS EXACTLY WHY WE NEED THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE F.C.C. TO STOP THIS MERGER.
07:50:46 AND THIS MERGER IS ONLY THE FIRST DOMINO IN A CASCADE THAT IS SURE TO COME.
07:50:52 MAKE NO MISTAKE, IF THIS MERGER IS APPROVED, IF THIS DEAL GOES THROUGH, IT WILL ONLY BE A YEAR OR TWO BEFORE WE SEE AT&T TRYING TO BUY ABC DISNEY OR VERIZON TRYING TO BUY CBS VIACOM.
07:51:06 AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE COMPANIES WILL SAY?
07:51:10 YOU LET COMCAST AND NBC UNIVERSAL DO IT.
07:51:13 NOW IT’S OUR TURN.
07:51:15 AND WHAT WILL THE F.C.C. OR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SAY TO THEM THEN?
07:51:21 NOW IS THE TIME TO DECIDE WHETHER WE WANT FOUR OR FIVE COMPANIES OWNING AND DELIVERING ALL CONTENT.
07:51:31 IMAGINE A WORLD WITH NO COMPETITION.
07:51:32 INDEPENDENT VOICES AND NO NOW, LET ME GO BACK SPECIFICALLY TO COMCAST AND NOT JUST ABOUT ITS CABLE PROFILE.
07:51:39 LET’S TALK ABOUT COMCAST CONTROL OF THE INTERNET.
07:51:42 THERE IS NO BETTER EXAMPLE HOW — OF HOW COMCAST PLANS TO USE ITS VIRTUAL MONOPOLY THAN WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS WITH ITS TREATMENT OF NETFLIX.
07:51:55 I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT NETFLIX HAS CHANGED THE WAY MANY AMERICANS WATCH MOVIES, AND IT ALL STARTED BECAUSE ONE OF ITS FOUNDERS WAS SICK OF PAYING LATE FEES FOR MOVIE RENTALS.
07:52:06 THIS S&P IS ONE OF — THIS COMPANY IS ONE OF OUR NATION’S GREAT SUCCESS STORIES.
07:52:11 IT NOW HAS ALMOST 17 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS AND GENERATES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE, AND IT ALL HAPPENED IN JUST OVER A DECADE.
07:52:19 BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE AND LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION FOR CONSUMERS TO WATCH MOVIES.
07:52:27 NETFLIX NOW HAS A LOT OF MONEY AND CAN WRITE BIG CHECKS TO BUY MOVIES AND VIDEO CONTENT, SO I DIDN’T THINK I NEEDED TO WORRY ABOUT NETFLIX.
07:52:35 BUT THEN I HEARD THAT BEING THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CONTENT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.
07:52:41 AS IT TURNS OUT, CABLE COMPANIES ARE WORRIED ABOUT NETFLIX’ SUCCESS.
07:52:47 IT REPRESENTS THE FIRST REAL COMPETITION THEY HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME, AND THEY WANT TO SHUT NETFLIX DOWN.
07:52:55 HOW CAN THEY DO THAT?
07:52:58 BY PUTTING OFF NETFLIX’ ACCESS TO THINGS PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH.
07:53:04 AND WHEN IS THIS THE MOST PROBLEMATIC?
07:53:06 FIRST, IT’S WHEN NETFLIX’ COMPETITORS LIKE COMCAST OR TIME WARNER CABLE ALSO OWN THE PROGRAMMING THAT NETFLIX CARRIES.
07:53:15 SECONDLY, IT’S WHEN NETFLIX’ COMPETITORS ARE ALSO THE ONES THAT SELL AND CONTROL ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
07:53:23 NEITHER OF THESE IS THEORETICAL.
07:53:26 JUST LAST WEEK, TIME WARNER’S C.E.O. BRAZENLY STATED THAT NETFLIX’ DEALS WITH TIME WARNER MAY NOT BE RENEWED.
07:53:34 OTHER STUDIO EXECUTIVES ARE SAYING THE SAME THING, AND WHAT I’M HEARING IS THAT COMCAST, WHICH IS NOT YET EVEN IN CONTROL OF NBC UNIVERSAL, PLANS TO REVERSE COURSE AND ULTIMATELY PULL NBC UNIVERSAL’S PROGRAMMING FROM NETFLIX.
07:53:52 COMCAST ALSO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE IMPOSING A NEW FEE ON LEVEL THREE COMMUNICATIONS.
07:53:58 THE COMPANY SLATED TO BECOME THE PRIMARY DELIVERY MECHANISM AND BACKBONE FOR NETFLIX’ ONLINE SHOWS.
07:54:06 STREAMING OF MOVIES AND TV COINCIDENTALLY, NETFLIX IS ONE OF COMCAST’ MAIN COMPETITORS FOR VIDEO DELIVERY, WHICH MAKES THIS PRICE HIKE SEEM JUST A LITTLE FISHY TO ME.
07:54:21 REGARDLESS OF COMCAST’S MOTIVES FOR CHARGING LEVEL THREE, THIS IS A CLEAR WARNING SIGN OF WHAT WE CAN ALL EXPECT IF THIS DEAL GOES THROUGH.
07:54:30 IF THIS DEAL GOES IN, COMCAST WILL MAKE IT HARDER AND MORE EXPENSIVE FOR YOU TO WATCH MOVIES ONLINE THROUGH ANY SERVICE OTHER THAN ITS OWN.
07:54:40 IF THIS DEAL GOES THROUGH, COMCAST WILL HAVE THE POWER TO LIMIT YOUR CHOICES, TO WATCHING COMCAST-OWNED CONTENT OVER COMCAST SERVICES LIKE ITS VIDEO ON DEMAND SERVICE.
07:54:53 I USE THE PHRASE IF THIS DEAL GOES THROUGH BECAUSE THIS IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF ANTICOMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE F.C.C. ARE SUPPOSED TO STOP.
07:55:08 AND WHAT IS EVEN MORE LUDICROUS IS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING WHEN COMCAST AND NBC SHOULD BE ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR.
07:55:18 RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE UNDER CLOSE SCRUTINY BY TWO FEDERAL AGENCIES, THE F.C.C. AND THE D.O.J.
07:55:25 YET, THEY SEEM TO BE MAKING EVEN MORE BOLD-FACED POWER GRABS WITHOUT ANY CONCERN ABOUT GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT.
07:55:33 BUT IN ADDITION TO THE COMCAST-NBC MERGER, WHAT IS ALSO BEFORE THE F.C.C. IS A NEW SET OF PROPOSED RULES THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR LARGE MEDIA CONGLOMERATES LIKE COMCAST TO DO NOTHING SHORT OF CONTROLLING THE INTERNET.
07:55:47 THE CHAIRMAN OF THE F.C.C. IS CALLING THIS A NET NEUTRALITY PROPOSAL.
07:55:53 BUT LET’S BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT REAL NET NEUTRALITY.
07:55:57 I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING OUR COUNTRY TODAY.
07:56:03 LET ME TAKE A STEP BACK AND EXPLAIN WHAT NET NEUTRALITY IS.
07:56:09 PUT SIMPLY, IT IS THE IDEA THAT BIG CORPORATIONS SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DECIDE WHO WINS OR LOSES ON THE INTERNET.
07:56:15 IT’S THE IDEA THAT THE INTERNET SHOULD BE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE, FROM A BLOGGER TO A MEDIA CONGLOMERATE.
07:56:24 FROM A SMALL BUSINESS PERSON TO A POWERFUL CORPORATION.
07:56:31 I BELIEVE THAT NET NEUTRALITY IS THE FREE SPEECH ISSUE OF OUR TIME.
07:56:37 THE INTERNET WASN’T CREATED BY CORPORATIONS.
07:56:41 IT WAS CREATED USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND IT HAS DRAMATICALLY ALTERED OUR DAILY LIVES IN MORE WAYS THAN ANY OF US COULD EVER HAVE DREAMED.
07:56:50 IT’S AN INCREDIBLE SOURCE OF INNOVATION, A HOTBED FOR CREATIVITY, AN UNBELIEVABLE PRODUCER OF WEALTH AND JOBS IN THIS NATION.
07:56:59 IT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING PRESIDENT OBAMA IN OFFICE, BUT IT WAS ALSO EQUALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING THE TEA PARTY BECOME POWERFUL — A POWERFUL FORCE IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
07:57:11 I MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT HAS DONE OR EVERYTHING THAT IT STANDS FOR, BUT I DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE TEA PARTY HAS A RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND TO POST ITS VIEWS ON THE INTERNET.
07:57:25 STRONG NET NEUTRALITY PRINCIPLES WOULD ENSURE THAT EVERYONE FROM THE MOST LIBERAL BLOGGER ON “DAILY COAST” TO THE MOST CONSERVATIVE FAN OF FOX NEWS WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE AN EQUAL RIGHT OF ACCESS AND AN EQUAL ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE.
07:57:42 IF CORPORATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTROL THE INTERNET, ALL OF THAT WOULD CHANGE.
07:57:49 THE INTERNET HAS BECOME THE PUBLIC SQUARE OF THE 21ST CENTURY, AND THIS IS WHY TEA PARTY ACTIVISTS AND ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT PERSONAL LIBERTIES, FREEDOMS, SHOULD CARE ABOUT NET NEUTRALITY.
07:58:04 ONE POPULAR MINNESOTA BLOGGER SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET HIS OR HER INFORMATION TO YOU JUST AS QUICKLY AS MSNBC.
07:58:12 OR TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY, MSNBC SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PAY MILLIONS TO GET THEIR WEBSITE TO LOAD FASTER ON YOUR COMPUTER.
07:58:20 WE DO NOT WANT CORPORATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DROWN OUT THE VOICES OF SMALLER, LESS POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS.
07:58:31 UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROPOSAL FOR THE F.C.C., WHICH I WILL ADMIT I HAVEN’T SEEN BECAUSE IT’S NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC WOULD REPORTEDLY ALLOW COMPANIES TO DO JUST THAT.
07:58:40 IT WOULD ALLOW INTERNET PROVIDERS TO CREATE A FAST LANE FOR COMPANIES THAT CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR IT.
07:58:46 IT WOULD ALLOW MOBILE NETWORKS LIKE AT&T AND VERIZON WIRELESS TO COMPLETELY BLOCK CONTENT AND APPLICATIONS WHENEVER IT SUITS, FOR EITHER POLITICAL OR FOR BUSINESS REASONS.
07:59:00 LET ME UNDERSCORE THIS.
07:59:03 THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE F.C.C. HAS EVER ALLOWED DISCRIMINATION ON THE INTERNET.
07:59:07 LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
07:59:09 MAYBE YOU LIKE GOOGLE MAPS.
07:59:10 WELL, TOUGH.
07:59:13 IF THE F.C.C. PASSES THIS WEAK RULE, VERIZON WILL BE ABLE TO CUT OFF ACCESS TO GOOGLE MAPS GOOGLE MAPS IS FREE.
07:59:33 AND IF CORPORATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO PRIORITIZE CONTENT ON THE INTERNET OR THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BLOCK APPLICATIONS YOU ACCESS ON YOUR I-PHONE, THERE IS NOTHING TO PREVENT THE SAME CORPORATIONS FROM SENSORRING POLITICAL — FROM — SENSORRING POLITICAL SPEECH.
07:59:55 NOW THERE ARE A BUNCH OF TEA PARTY APPS YOU CAN DOWNLOAD, BUT MAYBE NOT FOR LONG.
08:00:01 NOT IF YOUR WIRELESS CARRIER DOESN’T WANT YOU TO GET THEM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT.
08:00:09 I’M HERE ON THE FLOOR TODAY BECAUSE I THINK AMERICANS NEED TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW CRITICAL NET NEUTRALITY REALLY IS.
08:00:19 THIS IS COMPLICATED STUFF, BUT IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
08:00:25 AND IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT SPEECH.
08:00:26 IT IS ALSO ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION.
08:00:29 IT’S ABOUT OUR ECONOMY.
08:00:32 THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, THE PROPOSAL CURRENTLY PENDING BEFORE THE F.C.C. WOULD BE BAD FOR OUR ECONOMY.
08:00:44 THINK ABOUT COMPANIES LIKE YOUTUBE, WHICH STARTED IN A TINY OFFICE ABOVE A PIZZERIA AND GREW TO BE WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
08:00:53 AT THE TIME, GOOGLE HAD A COMPETING PRODUCT, GOOGLE VIDEO, WHICH WAS — WHICH WAS THEN THE STANDARD BUT WAS WIDELY SEEN AS INFERIOR.
08:01:07 HAD GOOGLE BEEN ABLE TO PAY COMCAST LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO MAKE ITS WEB SITE FASTER THAN NOWHERE.
08:01:14 YOUTUBE’S, YOUTUBE WOULD BE FORTUNATELY, GOOGLE COULDN’T PAY FOR PRIORITY ACCESS AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
08:01:23 YOU THINK ABOUT FACEBOOK.
08:01:26 ONCE UPON A TIME IT WAS A SMALL START-UP.
08:01:29 FACE.
08:01:29 REMEMBER FRIEND IS STER R OR MY THEY WERE ONCE THE DOMINANT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES BEFORE FACEBOOK WON OVER USERS WITH A VASTLY IMPROVED PRODUCT.
08:01:41 BUT THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE EVER HAPPENED IF FRIENDSTER OR OTHERS HAD PAID TO MAKE THEM FASTER.
08:01:49 IF FACEBOOK HAD TAKEN A LONG TIME TO LOAD ON YOUR COMPUTER, IT NEVER WOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED.
08:01:54 THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES HOW FREE AND OPEN INTERNET HAS FOSTERED INNOVATION WHICH HAS CREATED JOBS AND HAS SPURRED COMPETITION, WHICH HAS BENEFITED ALL CONSUMERS.
08:02:06 NOW, THINK OF THE NEXT FACEBOOK OR THE NEXT YOUTUBE OR THE NEXT AMAZON.
08:02:14 THE ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE THAT INNOVATION — THAT THAT INNOVATION WILL CONTINUE IS TO HAVE STRONG NET NEUTRALITY RULES THAT WILL PROTECT AND MAINTAIN TODAY’S FREE AND OPEN INTERNET.
08:02:25 SO THE F.C.C. HAS TO MAKE TWO BIG DECISIONS.
08:02:29 ONE ON THE COMCAST/NBC UNIVERSAL MERGER AND ONE ON NET NEUTRALITY.
08:02:34 THESE DECISIONS WILL IMPACT EVERY AMERICAN FOR YEARS TO COME.
08:02:39 YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS BUT THE F.C.C. IS AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY.
08:02:44 INDEPENDENT AGENCIES ARE NONPARTISAN.
08:02:46 THEY ARE NOT BEHOLDEN TO THE CONGRESS OR THE PRESIDENT, AND THEY CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE BEHOLDEN TO THE INDUSTRIES THAT THEY REGULATE.
08:02:52 THAT’S WHY I AM SO CONCERNED WHEN I HEAR THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE F.C.C. IS CALLING THE C.E.O.’S OF COMPANIES THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REGULATING SEEK THEIR PUBLIC ENDORSEMENT OF HIS NET NEUTRALITY PROPOSAL.
08:03:06 INDEPENDENT AGENCIES ARE CHARGED WITH ACTING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, SO WHEN I HEAR THAT THE F.C.C. IS CONSIDERING A NET NEUTRALITY PROPOSAL THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE LARGEST MEDIA CORPORATIONS IN AMERICA, I AM SUSPICIOUS AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO.
08:03:22 THE F.C.C. SHOULD NOT BE WORRYING ABOUT GETTING THE SIGNOFF FROM THE VERY CORPORATIONS THAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE REGULATING.
08:03:29 PERIOD.
08:03:31 THE F.C.C. HAS MADE PUBLIC ITS PLANS TO ACT ON ITS FLAWED NET NEUTRALITY PROPOSAL THIS COMING TUESDAY.
08:03:38 I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE F.C.C.
08:03:39 WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS BEFORE THEN AND THAT EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS WILL THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE THEY VOTE TO APPROVE A PROPOSAL THAT COULD ACTUALLY MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR ALL AMERICANS.
08:03:53 I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT THE F.C.C. IS GOING TO BE ACTING VERY SOON ON THE NBC-COMCAST MERGER.
08:03:59 IT NEEDS TO DO THIS IN THE LIGHT OF DAY, NOT HIDDEN IN THE MIDDLE OF CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S.
08:04:05 THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS MERGER.
08:04:09 I WILL BE SUPREMELY DISAPPOINTED IF APPROVAL OF THIS MERGER IS SLIPPED THROUGH WHEN MOST AMERICANS ARE UNWRAPPING PRESENTS AND SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
08:04:20 NOT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR CABLE OR INTERNET BILLS.
08:04:24 WE ARE AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT AND WE NEED TO STOP THE CASCADE OF DOMINO AS THAT WILL FOREVER CHANGE HOW WE PAY FOR TV AND BROWSE THE INTERNET.
08:04:36 BUT IT IS NOT TOO LATE.
08:04:37 THE GOVERNMENT HAS A ROLE TO PLAY HERE AND I HOPE THE F.C.C.
08:04:42 WILL STEP UP, BE BRAVE, AND DO PEOPLE.
08:04:44 WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE AMERICAN THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
08:04:54 AND I YIELD THE FLOOR.
