Contact: Aaron White
Phone: 202-225-5506
Aaron.White@mail.house.gov
Save the Internet Act passes House and moves to Senate
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Ron Kind voted in support of the Save the Internet Act, bipartisan legislation to restore net neutrality protections for Wisconsin families, schools and small businesses.
“Too many communities throughout our state have limited access to high-speed internet, putting Wisconsin small businesses, schools and families in rural areas behind,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “I am proud to vote for the Save the Internet Act, which will safeguard access to the internet and expand rural broadband.”
The Save the Internet Act limits paid internet speed throttling, strengthens transparency protections, protects consumers against unjust and discriminatory practices by large internet service providers, and bolsters rural broadband funds for communities across western and central Wisconsin.
In December of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to dismantle the 2015 regulations that allowed the FCC to prevent internet providers from blocking or slowing down certain websites, and charging customers extra fees. This bill would overturn the FCC’s recent decision, and protect the free and open internet.
Wisconsin ranks 36th of America’s most connected states, with 1/5 of the state’s population considered “underserved” or with limited access to high-speed internet. Over 899,000 people in Wisconsin have access to only one internet provider, with nearly 200,000 people living in communities without any wired internet providers.
