On the recordNovember 10, 2011
over the past 20 years, the Internet has grown and flourished without burdensome regulations from Washington. With the strength of free market forces behind it, the Internet has been an open platform for innovation. It has spurred business development, much needed job creation, millions of jobs in fact. If we are going to keep an open and free Internet and keep the jobs it spawns, we should reject the FCC regulation on net neutrality. The FCC reversed its successful hands-off approach last December by passing net neutrality rules where the FCC has essentially granted itself power over all forms of communication, including the Internet. Congress did not explicitly delegate this authority to the FCC, and it is our responsibility to hold on to the power that only we authorize regulations where they are needed. Unelected agencies do not get to decide on their own that something needs to be done that Congress has not, in its congressional and constitutional responsibility, decided is necessary. These regulations on broadband providers establish the FCC as the Internet's gatekeeper--a role for which government is not really suited when innovation could be stifled. Instead of spending their resources on new job-creating investments, on new products, on new services, Internet providers are going to have to spend money on lawyers and lobbyists to comply with and go through the processes the FCC will require. Congress has never given the FCC this authority.…
