FCC Chairman's Initiative on Open Internet Will Jumpstart Broadband Buildout

Contact Candice Johnson or Chuck Porcari, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org and cporcari@cwa-union.org

Statement by CWA President Larry Cohen on the framework announced by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski to ensure an open Internet:  

Washington, D.C. – The Communications Workers of America supports Chairman Genachowski’s initiative to sustain open Internet principles and create the stable conditions necessary for critical investment and quality job creation in broadband networks.

Building on the legislative framework proposed by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), this proposal fully incorporates the FCC’s open Internet principles that have won broad support.

The United States lags behind the rest of the world in development and expansion of this vital infrastructure. The Chairman’s initiative will jumpstart the investment America needs. 

CWA and other organizations in the progressive community, including national civil rights, environmental and labor groups, have called for action to implement the FCC’s principles of net neutrality: free speech, no blocking, no unjust or unreasonable discrimination and transparency.

Chairman Genachowski’s plan does that, and we urge the Commission to approve this framework.

The buildout of true 21^st century broadband networks has been stalled over the net neutrality debate; it’s critical that we end the gridlock and shift our focus to the investment that will allow the United States to catch up with the rest of the world.

The lack of high speed broadband has real implications for our country's economic growth, for residents in rural areas and urban communities who are encountering a widening digital divide and for communities who have no way to compete without high speed broadband.

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CWA represents 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, public service and health care.