Is Ted Cruz On Wrong Side of Net Neutrality?

And are Republicans siding with your cable company? By Carlos Martinez Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas   It hasnt even been two weeks since the election and the Republican Party is already hard at work alienating young voters. And whos leading the charge? Our own Texas senator Ted Cruz.   How? The principal of an open free internet appears to now be at risk from those who want to give cable companies and big corporations an advantage over your average consumer. After talk of policies that would increase the cost of college and opposing major progress on global carbon reduction the GOP is now circling the wagons against another issue our under-30 generation cares about: net neutrality. According to the Pew Research Center 98 of people under 30 years old use the Internet. Its essential. Sure we use it in our personal lives to keep up with friends or watch TV but its also a key way to interact with the economy. From shopping online to taking online courses to creating our own startups young people are inextricably linked to the realities of a digital age. This is why net neutrality is so important.

Net neutrality is a simple concept everyone should have access to the same Internet period. By doing this the playing field has been leveled. Its great for consumers innovators and others who have new products and ideas.

The smallest tech company can have the same access to the Internet as the largest tech behemoth. This has put technological innovation within reach of anyone who has access to a computer. As anyone whos spent a few hours on the phone with their cable company knows Internet is provided largely by corporations. As a way to make an extra buck these companies could provide arbitrary fast lanes" which would require payment of a large fee and are always looking to think of other ways to charge for extra service. The result would be higher costs to start many kinds of services that use the Internet and a big leg up for huge companies to build on their existing advantages at the expense of the little guy. Big firms with a broader set of resources could offer services that smaller startups wouldnt be able to afford. Small businesses local media outlets new startups streaming services like Netflix or colleges offering online courses would have to choose between raising costs on consumers like you or tolerating slower Internet speeds. By letting service providers slow down or speed up traffic to a website were letting your cable company pick winners and losers. Thats why President Obama and many Democrats recently lined up to support a free and open Internet. President Obama has called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to classify broadband Internet as a utility like electricity. This broader regulatory power would allow you to access any Internet content you want without fear of your cable company manipulating your access. This is both common sense and crucially important to a generation focused on innovation solutions and making sure everyone has a fair shot to get ahead. It should be disappointing though not particularly surprising that Ted Cruz and the Republican Party have come out against it. Theyve claimed they dont want Internet to work at the speed of government which this wouldnt do when really what they are advocating is for the internet to work at the mercy of your cable company. No thanks. Their opposition speaks volumes about who theyre looking out for but perhaps the more than $50000 that Ted Cruz has taken from Internet Service Providers speaks louder. While Democrats are focusing on making sure that everyone has a chance to take risks innovate and get ahead in an online economy Republicans are lining up for your cable company. While Republicans focus on your cable companys freedom to decide how you use the Internet and charge more fees theyre highlighting how out of touch they are with our generation. We want a fair shot to succeed we want to know the rules arent stacked against us and we want pragmatic solutions to problems whether they come from inside the government or outside. This is a clear example of a way to foster innovation by making sure everyone has an equal shot at success. If Republicans want to stay in the corner of big telecoms thats their choice. But with the GOP set to take over the Senate its abundantly clear who theyre fighting for and its certainly not us. Carlos Martinez is a History Major at the University of Texas at Austin where he is president of the Texas College Democrats.