Tomorrow, AT&T will join the “Day of Action” for preserving and advancing an open internet. This may seem like an anomaly to many people who might question why AT&T is joining with those who have differing viewpoints on how to ensure an open and free internet. But that’s exactly the point – we all agree that an open internet is critical for ensuring freedom of expression and a free flow of ideas and commerce in the United States and around the world. We agree that no company should be allowed to block content or throttle the download speeds of content in a discriminatory manner. So, we are joining this effort because it’s consistent with AT&T’s proud history of championing our customers’ right to an open internet and access to the internet content, applications and devices of their choosing.
For more than a decade, whether under a Democratic or Republican administration, AT&T has supported the need for clear and enforceable open internet rules. We supported the efforts of Republican FCC Chairmen to introduce the nation’s first Open Internet Principles. And we welcomed FCC Chairman Genachowski’s Open Internet Order in 2010 and testified before Congress, as a Democratic witness, in support of it.
AT&T has long embraced this bipartisan regulatory approach because it has advanced internet freedom and openness without sacrificing innovation, investment and rapid growth throughout our nation’s online ecosystem. With its 2010 Open Internet Order, the FCC tackled the core issues of blocking, throttling, and anti-competitive paid prioritization that stood at the center of the open internet debate and addressed the prominent concerns of online consumers.
Unfortunately, in 2015, then-FCC Chairman Wheeler abandoned this carefully crafted framework and instead decided to subject broadband service to an 80-year-old law designed to set rates in the rotary-dial-telephone era. Saddling modern broadband infrastructure and investment decisions with heavy-handed, outdated telephone regulations creates an environment of market uncertainty that does little to advance internet openness. Instead, it jeopardizes the prospects for continued innovation and robust growth we have witnessed since the internet’s creation.
The debate around an open internet has been going on for nearly 15 years. In the end, the issue is never really about what the rules should be or whether we should have an open internet. Rather, the debate focuses on whether open internet rules should derive from the 80-year-old Communications Act or some other theory of Congressional authority because the current law predates the internet. Instead of having this debate again, Congress should act now to provide the clear statutory authority that guarantees an open internet for all consumers.
On the eve of this “Day of Action,” AT&T reaffirms our support for an open internet based on protections that are fair and equal for everyone. We hope Congress can reach agreement on these principles and make those protections permanent.
Is it April Fools already? What kind of a joke is this blog post. AT&T has never supported net neutrality and never will.
The reason AT&T supports this is to pressure congress to adopt legislation that AT&T and ALEC can control.
AT&T is a wolf in sheeps clothing.
When you say you support a free and open internet, do you mean free and open for American citizens or free and open from regulations?
On one hand you say you’re supporting Net Neutrality then two paragraphs later you refer to it as heavy handed telephone era regulations.
Laws that protect the new era’s form of communication, expression and access to empowering information is a good law regardless of how old it is.
We know what the scorpion does once it gets across the river, it’s in your nature.
> With its 2010 Open Internet Order, the FCC tackled the core issues of blocking, throttling, and anti-competitive paid prioritization that stood at the center of the open internet debate and addressed the prominent concerns of online consumers.
They didn’t tackle those issues and as an exec of legislative affairs you obviously know this. Those positions were vacated by the DC circuit in Verizon v. FCC. The court ruled that those regulations fell outside the scope of the commission’s “statutory grant of authority” and could only be applied to “telecommunications services”, not “information services” that BIAS was classified as. The court has continuously held that the commission cannot use ancillary jurisdiction to regulate BIAS network management policies. Reclassification was the only option the FCC had to actually enforce no blocking and no throttling outside of congressional intervention.
AT&T and the rest are trying to legislate their way to a market victory instead of competing on an equal field with edge providers and smaller ISPs. Their fight isn’t against net neutrality anymore (because they won’t win it) — it’s about killing competition.
Is AT&T trying to change the course of the bullet instead of stopping it?
AT&T… we sincerely hope you are on our side, but we cannot simply believe that a company that has gotten in its own fair share of Net Neutrality trouble is suddenly joining the side of consumers.
Is this a PR stunt?
Yes this is anomaly.
AT&T knows if edge providers are included in the regulations they will be much weaker than the regulations on ISP’s.
As long as there is no real broadband choice/competition ISP’s that control the pipe to the open Internet need to be simply regulated to treat every byte the same, no snooping, shaping or collecting data. Simple straight forward rules, that take all uncertainty out of the market.
Living in AT&T wired “service” area, but the network is so neglected it’s physically falling apart, junction boxes marked as scrap with orange paint or covered in plastic bags all over our community.
A network not even capable of DSL, what AT&T says, is not what AT&T does, history has proven they can’t be trusted on their words.
Assuming you believe you’re sincere, as a customer, I disagree with your idea of net neutrality and internet openness. “Fair and equal for everyone?” I will do whatever I can to advocate for Tom Wheeler’s views.
“Unfortunately, in 2015, then-FCC Chairman Wheeler abandoned this carefully crafted framework and instead decided to subject broadband service to an 80-year-old law designed to set rates in the rotary-dial-telephone era.”
This is statement is so intentionally misleading that who ever wrote it needs to take a long look in the mirror and ask themselves what kind of person they are. Chairman Wheeler “abandoned” this framework after he was sued by Verizon and the courts told him the rules weren’t enforceable unless he reclassified. The “carefully crafted framework” came to end not because Wheeler “decided” to end it, it came to end because Verizon sued and forced Wheeler to take a different approach. Also the notion that a law is bad because it is 80-years old, is beyond laughable. I’m curious what the author’s opinion is of the Bill of Rights? Any company that allows something so blatantly dishonest to be published in their name, deserves only their customers scorn.
If you’re serious about net neutrality how about you drop your current legal actions trying to rescind those rules?
Either put up or shut up. Net neutrality exists to keep companies like you from riding roughshod over everyone else.
Millions of us knowledgeable end-users, the overwhelming majority, supported Tom Wheeler’s truly open Internet (including Title II designation).
Now the AT&T perversion and the current FCC changes being planned are being supported by bots generating identical comments. Don’t be fooled by corporate ISPs.
What a joke. How do you sleep at night? Feel good to screw over America for money?
What a load of crap. Just how stupid do you think we are?
AT&T has been a champion of a closed internet where AT&t decides which sites and services are “Winners & Losers”.
No one is falling for this.
It is a depressing day when someone like this tries to flip everything around to make them look better.
Title II classification is the best way to ensure net neutrality. It’s very telling that the only place this post even uses the term “net neutrality” is for tag.
AT&T doesn’t support net neutrality, they only support an “open internet” where their definition of open internet is not net neutrality.
Chairman Wheeler adopted the new ruled because the 2010 regulations were overturned by the courts. You’ll have to forgive me if we don’t believe that the company that once said it wasn’t going to let Google ride its pipes for free and blocked Facetime in its own network is somehow now a stalwart for net neutrality.
If you support net neutrality, why does my home internet have a data cap?
I’m with AT&T in favor of net neutrality
So, AT&T is upset that the government is going to allow free competition and destroy their crony capitalism?
Beautiful. Another flack who majored in doublespeak. The words in this post look like pretzels after being run through your logic mangler.
Face the music. The ‘Net is a de facto public utility, and should be handled as such.
AT&T, I’m not buying your argument on supporting an “open and free” internet. Why haven’t AT&T stated that they will not throttle content from companies such as Google, Netflix, Amazon, etc.? That statement has been conveniently omitted by AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Charter, and FCC Chairman Pai.
My god this is just bald faced hypocrisy. Did Bob post write this laughing the the entire time?
You know as well as anyone who’s watched this issue for any amount of time that your claims are misleading at best. You’re fighting for exactly the opposite of what we’re all talking about.
So the question is, what kind of a man are you Bob? One for whom the truth takes a backseat to financial interests or company loyalty?
I recently switched from Comcast to your company. At least Comcast is being honest about its intentions.
This is pathetically written. Be honest about your opinions in the title. You’re joining the “Day of Action” not to bring awareness and support for the current Net Neutrality laws, but to push for “new” laws, just like every other ISP to bring about an environment where ISPs can block websites that compete with their other services and charge extra fees for using popular websites. An environment that can only cause more harm to consumers, and only aid ISPs by giving them new ways to suck the money from their customer’s pockets.
I pay for internet the same as I pay for water. I am charged based on how much I use. However I don’t see water companies telling me I need to pay more because I’m making a cup of coffee as opposed to washing clothes. ISPs like your company should not be allowed to dictate how I want to use the internet I pay for.
Net Neutrality must STAY AS IT IS.
Spin it all you want, but apparently innovation & investment are at an all-time high, so the law is not stifling either. Is support for the “Day of Action” just a smokescreen? If net neutrality is repealed & my rates increase, I’m jumping ship. AT&T has been my provider since the existence of cell phones, & I’m already upset that no incentives are offered to such long-time loyal customers except getting DirectTV, which is not an option for me since satellite TV doesn’t work in a snowy or stormy climate; the repeal of net neutrality would be the last straw propelling me to end our one-sided relationship if AT&T stands behind the repeal.
What a ridiculous statement. Whoever wrote this seems to have mastered double-talk and high level obfuscation pretty well.
In essence ATT is saying, “Yes we support net neutrality, so long as we rescind current net neutrality regulations and go back to a more restrictive regime.”
More greedy liars. If I can find an honest supplier, I will quit AT&T in a minute.