On December 14, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on an order to repeal Net Neutrality – “rules that banned internet service providers from blocking or slowing down content, or creating so-called “fast lanes” for companies willing to pay extra to deliver their content more quickly.”

Appointed FCC chair Ajit Pai states:

“Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet. Instead, the FCC would simply require internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that’s best for them and entrepreneurs and other small businesses can have the technical information they need to innovate.”

It also should be noted that Pai is a former lawyer for Verizon.

The other four commissioners on the FCC are Mignon Clyburn (D), Michael O’Rielly (R), Brendan Carr (R), and Jessica Rosenworcel (D). Along with Ajit Pai, these 5 appointed officials will vote on December 14 and determine the future of the internet. According to an article from wired, “the FCC’s two Democratic members blasted the proposal.”

“Following actions earlier this year to erase consumer privacy protections, the Commission now wants to wipe out court-tested rules and a decade’s work in order to favor cable and telephone companies,” Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “This is ridiculous and offensive to the millions of Americans who use the Internet every day.”

ISPs (internet service providers) have spoken up about the repeal on Net Neutrality, and most seem to be in favor of the repeal. Many ISPs say that they won’t censor or throttle websites, but according to historical precedent, it isn’t true. Portugal repealed their Net Neutrality equivalent, and the throttling has already begun.

This is a plan from Portugal’s lead internet provider, Telco, and it shows that without Net Neutrality, ISPs will quickly throttle your internet while charging you more. The repeal of Net Neutrality, to the average American, seems to be nothing more than a way for the big ISPs to make more money by squeezing every last cent they can out of the average internet user.

To stop the repeal of Net Neutrality, there are a few things you can do. You can send an email to the FCC, sign the petitions to keep Net Neutrality on BattleForTheNet and SaveTheInternet, or email your local congressman (hint: it’s John Culberson) about the repeal on Net Neutrality.