Net Neutrality advocates Namecheap and Fight for the Future parked an 11’ video billboard outside of the FCC’s Washington, DC. The purpose of the truck was to stream videos advocating net neutrality while the FCC held its roundtable hearing Tuesday.
Building off the momentum of last week’s record-breaking Internet Slowdown protest, net neutrality supporters have obtained a permit to park a truck with a roof-mounted 11’ wide video billboard directly outside FCC headquarters in Washington DC. The billboard will be playing a stream of net neutrality related videos sent in from the Internet, including videos from today’s [9/15/2014] net neutrality rallies in NYC, Philadelphia, and Chicago, and webcam appeals from Internet users everywhere explaining why net neutrality matters to them.
The FCC has been taking comments on recent proposals to reclassify internet service providers and to take a stronger stance in support of net neutrality. Recently, telecom giants have been taking steps to established tiered levels of access that establish a “fast” and “faster” connection that content creators can pay to have access too.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has taken a lot of heat for having been an industry lobbyist. Many suspect that he will protect corporate interests ahead of end-users.
“Washington DC is worlds away from the vast majority of Internet users who suffer from the FCC’s current proposal,” said Ted Worcester, head of Product at Namecheap. “The video billboard helps give more people a way to get their message right in front of the FCC. Thanks to the open Internet, its easy for people to send us videos about why net neutrality matters to them.”
You can read the groups full press release here.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.