It was all going so, so well for American ISPs. Not only did they have a former cable lobbyist as head of the Federal Communications Commission, but he was even planning to push through a new proposal that would have given them the power to create separate Internet fast lanes where they could charge more to Internet companies to ensure their traffic got delivered faster. And to top it all off, many of them were planning to engage in a huge wave of mergers that would give them even more power over the broadband and/or pay TV markets, from Comcast-Time Warner Cable to Sprint-T-Mobile to AT&T-DirecTV. read more

Dozens of stars have signed a letter urging FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to “protect the Internet as a vehicle for free expression.”

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More than 50 stars have signed a letter to FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler calling his proposed changes to net neutrality a threat to artistic freedom.

“The open Internet has powered the creative community’s pursuits and offerings in the 21st century,” reads the letter. “As members of this community, we urge the Federal Communications Commission to protect the open Internet as a vehicle for free expression and collaboration.”

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In a letter addressed to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, celebrity performers including Mark Ruffalo and Eddie Vedder called for the commission to issue new rules that protect net neutrality. “As members of this community,” the letter reads, “we urge the Federal Communications Commission to protect the open internet as a vehicle for free expression and collaboration.” read more