Tim Converse

Stop Big Companies from Controlling my Company!

I am a small business. In fact it's just me! I am an entertainer and being able to compete for business in a fair Internet is my life blood. Small business owners like myself can not afford to pay additional charges just so that my services can be seen on equal footing with the services of larger business' with the budget to waste on these kinds of expenses. Expenses which not only don't improve the services offered by the telcom companies but in fact do nothing but line their pockets.

Currently, through my hard work I have achieved a #1 rating on Google for "Santa Cruz Magician." (http://www.santiagosmagic.com) I could not have achieved that if my website were controlled by a telcom company that would expect me to pay more money just to be able to have my website load up at the speed it currently does! If they slowed me down my website would eventually lose it's rating because people wouldn't visit it and that would ultimately hurt my business.

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.

This is supposed to be a free and open economy and market. Don't let them prevent someone like me from competing fairly.