As a web developer and a small business owner in the online realm, net neutrality is critical to ensure fair competition between small and large businesses. Net Neutrality allows my website to be treated exactly the same by ISPs as every other website.

ISPs have spent the last decade carving out their own realms, creating regional monopolies, and setting up a nationwide oligopoly. They have used government power to help ensure these mini monopolies. This means there is no substantial competition in the majority of markets across America. According to the FCC, 30% of Americans do not have access to high speed internet and 48% of Americans only have access to one high speed internet provider. 55% of Americans don’t even have access to 100Mbps speeds.

This means America does not viable internet alternatives.

Now ISPs want to remove net neutrality rules which allows them to block, alter, and throttle websites at their own choosing. This allows them to offer their own websites for free, slow down or block competition, and charge higher rates for websites like Facebook or Netflix. The ISPs can even block websites that criticize their business practices.

Since most Americans don’t have any ISP alternatives, it means we are at the mercy of these telecommunication giants who have shown they do not have consumer first business practices.

Removing net neutrality will hurt small businesses and the average American in order to increase profits of multi billion dollar companies.

I urge everyone to support Net Neutrality. In doing so, you support small businesses, you support free speech on the internet, and you support economic growth for all of America.

Please contact your representatives: https://www.battleforthenet.com/