Wi-Fi And Democracy

Broadband access is the latest battleground in the struggle for a digital commons accessible to all, regardless of income. Today, The Notion describes what's at stake:

<!--StartFragment -->As corporate telecommunications giants accelerate their efforts to create a two-tiered Internet, one of our greatest tools for democracy and equality is under assault. America already lags far behind other industrialized nations in Net access--paying "two to three times as much for slower and poorer quality service than countries like South Korea or Japan"--and if big telecom succeeds, the Internet may be slower and more costly than ever.

<!--StartFragment -->One of the major fronts in the fight to equalize Internet access has been the effort to provide universal wireless service, and cities across the nation are rapidly embracing WiFi-for-all initiatives.

Later this week, TomPaine.com willl provide an update on the efforts to block the big  telecom companies from creating online gated communities—where the speed and quality of your connection to the Internet is governed by your ability to pay. To take action today telling Congress to protect community—rather than corporate—control over<!--StartFragment --> broadband access, click here.

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