Grace Nelson

The only social and news contact I have, ever.

I built a new home. I live in a rural area. The TV carrier, Charter Communications, never billed me, never contacted my mailing address or four phone numbers, but sent a tech to disconnect my cable TV with no warning. Hours of call-center help has produced only a fraudulent credit card charge and cell-phone bills, and Charter, after 20 years of faithful on-time payments, can't even tell them what I owe them. They couldn't be less interested.

So, we have no TV. Satellite is iffy out here. We get EVERYTHING from the Web, and letting companies like Charter or AT&T run the show will basically tighten the noose they have on us now. Please do the right thing.

Net Neutrality is essential to free speech, equal opportunity and economic innovation in America. Since the FCC removed this basic protection in 2005, the top executives of phone and cable companies have stated their intention to become the Internet's gatekeepers and to discriminate against Web sites that don't pay their added tolls.

This fundamental change would end the open Internet as we know it. It would damage my ability to connect with others, share information and participate in our 21st century democracy and economy. The FCC must ensure that broadband providers do not block, interfere with or discriminate against any lawful Internet traffic based on its ownership, source or destination.

Grace and Doug Nelson