Howard Winant

New Neutrality is Essential for Education

Net Neutrality is essential to free speech, equal opportunity and economic innovation in America.

It is also key to education. As a university teacher and researcher, I consider open access to the Internet the key to doing my job. Higher education will be paralyzed if net neutrality is lost. Research will be irreparably damaged. And research is the key to producing new knowledge and innovation in the economy, science, and the whole society.

What special claim to the big telecom companies have to the Internet? None. It was developed by government and universities. Its operations are a public trust, and it can never be owned by private interests.

If the FCC violates this public trust, the public will react with great anger. Do not make that mistake. Preserve net neutrality for the American people, the people of the world, and future generations.

Howard Winant
Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara