DAY OF ACTION: Both sides in the net neutrality fight are gearing up ahead of Wednesday’s “Day of Action,” an event organized by groups in support of the internet rules.
Republican Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is moving to scrap net neutrality and a number of the web’s biggest companies, including Facebook, Google and Netflix, will be joining Wednesday’s protest.
But AT&T on Tuesday took protest organizers by surprise after announcing it too would take part despite its support for Pai’s plan.
{mosads}”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,” Bob Quinn, AT&T’s senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs wrote in a blogpost announcing the move. “We agree that no company should be allowed to block content or throttle the download speeds of content in a discriminatory manner.”
Evan Greer, campaign director at Fight For The Future, the group behind the Day of Action, called AT&T’s move “ridiculous.”
“AT&T are lying when they say they support net neutrality, while actively opposing it,” Greer said.
The company is not listed among the official participants in the event. AT&T supports Pai’s plan to scrap the Title II portion of net neutrality, the provision that gives the FCC the jurisdiction to regulate broadband providers.
The Chamber of Commerce also voiced its opposition to the Title II provisions in a joint letter to the FCC on Tuesday, arguing that broadband investment has decreased since the FCC was given regulatory authority over broadband providers
Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) announced that he would be holding a press conference in support of net neutrality, as part of the Day of Action, which will be livestreamed. Lawmakers including Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) will be attendance. The event will also feature representatives from the ACLU, Mozilla and The National Hispanic Media Coalition.
For more on the controversy over AT&T, click here.
Verizon’s reaction to the Day of Action: In a statement, Verizon said that while it respects and applauds companies for taking part in the Day of Action, it believes the net neutrality issue has been “characterized primarily by slogans and rhetoric,” which “has not led to protection of the open Internet on a permanent and predictable basis.” Like AT&T, Verizon also said that they support a so-called open internet, just not with FCC oversight.
“Likewise, while we agree with the goal of an open Internet, we do not think the answer is to impose 1930s utility regulation on ISPs [internet service providers],” Will Johnson, Verizon’s senior vice president of federal regulatory and legal affairs wrote. “Regulation designed for rotary phones and monopoly railroads doesn’t fit today’s competitive Internet space.”
Please send your tips, comments and net neutrality Day of Action plans to Ali Breland (abreland@digital-stage.thehill.com) and Harper Neidig (hneidig@digital-stage.thehill.com) and follow us on Twitter: @alibreland, @hneidig and @HilliconValley. We’re also on Signal. Email or DM us for our numbers.
TRUMP SUED FOR BLOCKING TWITTER USERS: President Trump is being sued for blocking dissenting Twitter users by a First Amendment group, which alleges his actions violate the Constitution.
The case was filed Tuesday in a New York City court by the Knight First Amendment Institute, which represents seven Twitter users who claim to have been blocked by the president.
The institute, based at Columbia University, requested the court to call the president’s “viewpoint-based blocking” unconstitutional and to unblock the plaintiffs on Twitter and pay their legal fees.
Read more here.
MICROSOFT OUTLINES BROADBAND EXPANSION PLANS: Microsoft President Brad Smith laid out his vision on Tuesday for a new effort to bring broadband internet access to rural communities.
In a blog post, Smith said that the U.S. should aim to eliminate the urban-rural internet access gap by July 4, 2022. He emphasized that the best way to approach the issue is by taking advantage of “TV white spaces” — television broadcast waves that are unused and which enable “wireless signals to travel over hills and through buildings and trees,” Smith wrote.
“It’s why people could watch television programs in rural communities long before the advent of satellite television,” he wrote. “Microsoft itself has considerable experience with this spectrum, having deployed 20 TV white space projects in 17 countries that have served 185,000 users.”
Read more here.
TWITTER HIRES NEW CFO: Twitter announced on Tuesday that it would be hiring Intuit executive Ned Segal as the company’s new chief financial officer, replacing Anthony Noto, who also currently serves as the chief operating officer.
“Ned’s experience in financial operations as a public company and business unit CFO, along with his background serving technology companies and investors, are an ideal fit for Twitter as we work to extend our positive momentum, continue growing our audience and achieve greater operating efficiency,” CEO Jack Dorsey said in a statement.
“He brings a principled, engaging and rigorous approach to the CFO role, with a track record of driving profitable growth.”
Read more here.
ON TAP:
The Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy will hold a roundtable on net neutrality at 10:30 a.m.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
The Wall Street Journal takes a deep dive into Google’s effort to enlist academics
News outlets want Congress to allow collective negotiations with Facebook, Google
DHS delays rule allowing entrepreneurs into the United States
Dem senators urge FCC to prepare for net neutrality ‘Day of Action’
Wired: The biggest players in tomorrow’s day of action
Airlines making progress in getting flight laptop ban lifted, DHS says