skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Alaska covers fewer kids with public insurance vs. 2019; Judge Cannon indefinitely postpones Trump's classified docs trial; Federal initiative empowers communities with career creation; Ohio teacher salaries haven't kept pace with inflation.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Former Speaker Paul Ryan weighs in on the 2024 Presidential election. President Biden condemns anti-semitism. And the House calls more college and university presidents to testify on handling pro-Palestine protests.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Some small towns in North Dakota worry they'll go to pot if marijuana is legalized, school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans, and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.

Protests of FCC Net-Neutrality Moves Planned in VA, D.C,.

play audio
Play

Thursday, December 7, 2017   

RICHMOND, Va. – Protesters are gathering in hundreds of cities and towns across the nation beginning Thursday to show support for a free and open Internet.

The Federal Communications Commission will vote next Thursday, Dec. 14 on whether to lift rules that keep Internet service providers from offering faster speeds to sites that can afford to pay higher fees, which would put small business and nonprofit websites at a big disadvantage.

Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, says providers might start partitioning off the Internet with packages that only give people access to specific sites.

"The fear is that without network neutrality, without that protection, the Internet service providers will have more power to charge you more to access certain sites or certain services,” he points out. “Historically, the example is that you might get charged more to use Netflix."

Large Internet providers have promised to be fair and keep consumers' best interests in mind.

But Mitchell worries providers could slow down connection speeds for website owners that don't pay higher fees, thus driving viewers to other, faster sites.

Find out more about local protests at events.battleforthenet.com.

A dozen protests are planned in Virginia, plus another half dozen in Washington.

Ajit Pai, who was appointed FCC chairman by President Donald Trump, says the market will curb any abuses.

But Mitchell notes that in many towns, big Internet service providers have a near monopoly.

"Most Americans only have one choice in high quality Internet access,” he points out. “Beyond that, they have to either take a lower quality service option or move."

In more than 30 states, local authorities have taken the matter into their own hands, organizing municipal companies that compete with the big ISPs but are required to operate in the public interest and seek to offer reasonably priced high speed Internet.








get more stories like this via email

more stories
Healthcare organizations in Nebraska and elsewhere are struggling to fill nursing positions, which can have significant consequences for patient care. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

It's National Nurses Week, and educators and healthcare officials say there just aren't enough of them to go around. A combination of retiring baby …


Environment

play sound

There are nearly 150,000 miles of rivers and streams in South Dakota, but new data show many of those don't meet state standards for safe water …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Birth doulas assist new moms with the stress, uncertainty and anxiety of childbirth, while another type of doula offers similar support to those who …


A report from the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project showed student demonstrations make up around one-third of all U.S. protests related to the Israel-Hamas War since it began. (Kalaya'an Mendoza)

Social Issues

play sound

New York groups are providing student protesters with resources to help sustain demonstrations safely and peacefully, as the war between Israel and …

Social Issues

play sound

The first week of May is designated as Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States. The push to honor teachers started in 1953 when First Lady …

Researchers with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions say safe storage of firearms is a good way to prevent suicides, especially when adolescents are in the home. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The end date for Minnesota's legislative session is less than two weeks away. One of the remaining debates is gun safety and supporters of a safe …

Social Issues

play sound

The shortage of educators and school staffers has reached a crisis level in some Pennsylvania public schools, prompting a new "Educators Rising" …

Social Issues

play sound

A collaboration between the federal government and local communities works to create new career opportunities. The Flint Environmental Career Worker …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021