Ed Markey: “I rise to speak on the issue of net neutrality. Right now there are people who are watching the floor of the Senate…”

“I rise to speak on the issue of net neutrality. Right now there are people who are watching the floor of the Senate streaming live on C-SPAN.org. They might be engaged political junkies or maybe they need something to help them take a nap. Let's face it; the action in this most deliberative body can sometimes feel a little slow. Now imagine just a few companies deciding that C-SPAN.org will be put into a slow lane; that the public interest content streamed out to the world will be sent out at an even more deliberative pace, while kitten videos will get priority. When people talk about net neutrality, that is what we are talking about. Instead of open and free Internet where the billions of clicks and links made by customers and entrepreneurs in their living rooms and garages determine who wins and loses, it will be just a few companies in a few corporate boardrooms deciding who gets into the express lane and who falls behind in a traffic jam. We need a truly open Internet because an open Internet has become the world's greatest platform for innovation, job creation, and economic growth. An open Internet enables freedom of expression and the sharing of ideas across town or around the world. An open Internet is driving economic growth in Massachusetts and throughout the United States. Openness is the Internet's heart, nondiscrimination is its soul, and any infringements on either of these features undermine the intent of net neutrality.…”