April 14, 2008

Free The Net!

Posted by Larisa Mann at 11:17AM

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The Federal Communication Commission makes nationwide rules about communications technology like radio and the internet. When considering rules on issues of public interest, the FCC is required to make time for the public to raise their concerns.

Of course, a lot of media and technology corporations are also interested in communications rules, which is probably why Comcast hired people to fill seats at the last public hearing so that regular members of the public couldn't get in.

Why is Comcast so anxious to keep us out? Because the FCC is considering regulating the accessibility of the internet — whether internet service providers like Comcast should be allowed to provide different levels of service to different users. If the ISPs are allowed to differentiate, which users would likely be at the bottom of the heap? Those who can't afford to pay extra — also people who rely most on the internet to offset their lack of access to other public forums.

On Thursday April 17 Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society is hosting a public hearing on the Future of the Internet where experts and the public can share their views with all five FCC commissioners.

The hearing will be held on the Stanford campus at Dinkelspiel Auditorium, 471 Lagunita Drive, Stanford University, Stanford (Palo Alto), CA 94305. Seating is first-come, first-served, and open to the public.

Hearing schedule:

12:00 p.m. Welcome/Opening Remarks — Stanford Center for Internet & Society

12:45 p.m. Panel Discussion 1 — Network Management and Consumer Expectations

2:15 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m. Panel Discussion 2 — Consumer Access to Emerging Internet Technologies & Applications

4:30 p.m. Public Comment

6:30 p.m. Closing Remarks

7:00 p.m. Adjournment

Before then Media Alliance and SaveTheInternet have organized community meetings for people to share knowledge and prepare their own testimony. Let's get out other and speak up — don't let Comcast pack this one with sleepers!

Monday, April 14, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

1929 Martin Luther King Way, Berkeley

Tuesday, April 15, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Bay Area Video Coalition (BAYVAC)

2727 Mariposa Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco

Wednesday, April 16, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

One East Palo Alto Office

1798 Bay Road, East Palo Alto

For directions, maps, and more information go to Save The Internet.