{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-and-oregon-library-association-urge-fcc-to-protect-net-neutrality", "Wyden and Oregon Library Association urge FCC to protect net neutrality", "2014-11-10", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Equal access critical to libraries\u2019 work providing resources to Oregonians\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, November 10, 2014\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Oregon Library Association President Candice Watkins, in an op-ed in the East Oregonian, call for Oregonians to join in their fight to ensure equal access to the Internet.\r\nThe governing principle of the Internet to date has been net neutrality \u2014 bits are bits, and Internet service providers should not prioritize content delivery based on ability to pay.\r\nNet neutrality ensures that all Internet users can seek out and find information from all points of view without discrimination. It has generated substantial benefits for consumers, entrepreneurs and the users at every one of Oregon\u2019s more than 120 public libraries, as well as hundreds more school and college libraries.\r\nAs the president of the Oregon Library Association and as Oregon\u2019s senior U.S. senator, we share the view that the Internet must remain neutral if it is to continue to support freedom of speech, open new educational frontiers and spur economic growth. That is why industry schemes to create pay-to-play Internet fast lanes have librarians and lawmakers alike sounding the alarm.\r\nInternet providers want to charge an extra fee to content providers to move their information at the fastest speeds. They call this scheme \u201cpaid prioritization.\u201d In other words, if you can\u2019t afford to pay up, your data will be relegated to the slow lane. This means that startups, which sometimes get their start at public libraries, won\u2019t be able to compete on the same terms as companies that can afford access to the fast lane.\r\nHere are some other ways that paid prioritization harms Internet users:\r\nFirst, content providers that pay a fast lane surcharge will likely pass the cost on to their subscribers. This will be a financial burden for public libraries, which, according to statistics provided by the Oregon State Library, provide Internet access to thousands of Oregonians every year. Ultimately, it undermines our best efforts to ensure that all Americans have equal access to the information and opportunities created by the Internet economy.\r\nSecond, materials such as ebooks, digital music and research databases that Oregon libraries provide to the general public will be delivered at slower speeds. Libraries can\u2019t afford to spend more tax dollars to pay Internet providers for fast-lane delivery, which means the materials they make available to serve the public interest will be harder to access than commercially developed content. Paid prioritization would make the Internet a pay-to-play field, and everyone who can\u2019t pay will end up losing.\r\nSo who are the people that get hurt? All the people with modest incomes who are using a library Internet connection to research job opportunities or start new businesses. All the high school or college students who are using library-provided research materials for homework projects. The bottom line is that all Oregonians, regardless of income, should be able to access high quality, online information at the same speed and not face painfully slow service.\r\nRural Oregon is especially dependent on libraries for reliable and accessible Internet connections. According to data provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 40 percent of Oregon\u2019s libraries are in rural areas. Providing equal Internet access to Oregonians, wherever they live, is vital to local economies and community development.\u00a0\r\nFor example, the Hood River County Library District recently upgraded its internet connection to a fast 100Mbps. That investment, however, would lose its value if significant portions of the web are slowed. And that\u2019s just one example among many at Oregon public libraries that thousands of Oregonians use each year.\r\nAll the good work that libraries are doing to provide high speed Internet access and trustworthy information to Oregonians could crumble if the FCC allows Internet broadband access providers to segment the Internet according to ability to pay. This is a critical time in the fight for net neutrality.\r\nThe Federal Communications Commission is writing new rules right now that will decide the fate of the open Internet. It is more important than ever for the public to let the FCC know that Oregonians won\u2019t stand for an Internet that is split between haves and have-nots.\r\nNet neutrality levels the playing field and allows everyone equal access to the flow of information on the Internet. That\u2019s why we\u2019re asking you to join us in fighting to preserve a level playing field online. To learn more about what you can do to support an open Internet and net neutrality, visit the Oregon Library Association\u2019s toolkit for communities at\u00a0http://tinyurl.com/p7ujdtv.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-and-oregon-library-association-urge-fcc-to-protect-net-neutrality"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7733541317284107, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}