BALTIMORE- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject the so-called “Restoring Internet Freedom Order” that was released Tuesday by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. FCC commissioners will vote on the proposal at the FCC’s Open Meeting on December 14.

“The FCC’s idea of Internet Freedom means freedom for providers to decide what the public can see and can do on the internet. This is not freedom for consumers, as net neutrality envisioned. This is bowing to corporate interests, once again, which seems to be emblematic of this Trump era.  Consumers and businesses cannot live without this vital connection to each other and to the world around them. This public utility may be more advanced than previous telephone service, but today it carries our greatest ideas and most important information. I have long believed that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should not be permitted to charge more or throttle back on speeds or lock-out small content providers. This is a dangerous step in corporatizing what is essentially public airwaves for the 21st century.”