Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin Applauds Reps. Henry Waxman & Rick Boucher Introduction of Open Internet Legislation

Here's another riveting article in the guest series from former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin. This week, Ms. Franklin gives her take on open Internet legislation.

This past week, two democrats made great strides by opening the doors for a national and political conversation about common sense open Internet legislation. Although proposed legislation stalled in Congress last week, this marks the beginning of what could be a vital turning point for numerous underrepresented and underserved individuals across the country.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) introduced open Internet legislation that stalled in Congress last week. Although the legislation ended in a standstill, it catalyzed common sense discussions among lawmakers about the current state and the future of broadband access. Both Congressmen Waxman and Boucher understand the significant role that affordable access to broadband can play in the lives of many. With their continued impassioned support and legislative action, there is no doubt others will join them in advocating for sound open Internet legislation.

For many Americans, the digital divide is real, especially for minorities, many of which are without access to affordable Internet. With each day that passes that legislation is stalled, these individuals are falling further and further behind their counterparts. The Internet is no longer a way to enjoy a leisure activity for those with discretionary income. It is an educational and workforce necessity. For children, it means more educational and vocational resources. For adults, it means more job opportunities, more professional skills and access to higher education. It is impossible to compete in the global marketplace without broadband technology - it literally opens the door to the world; without it millions of Americans are left peeking through the window.

Our economy as a whole is already debilitated and still struggling to regain its footing from one of the greatest economic downturns that our nation has ever experienced. We need viable, sensible policies that improve opportunities tomorrow for Americans who are behind the curve today. We need policies that will create jobs now and generate new opportunities for future investment.

Now that Congressmen Waxman and Boucher have created an opening in the policy debate over access to broadband, Congress must take action to make sure that this opportunity does not fall by the wayside. It is up to Congress, working with the Obama administration, to implement policies that focus on job creation through the deployment of affordable access and technology infrastructure development.

The FCC's National Broadband Plan promised we would see the benefits of our new digital age; we must move forward with the policy framework outlined in the Plan to achieve these benefits. If Congress moves forward with legislation, drawing heavily from the framework set forth in the National Broadband Plan, then affordable access to broadband technology will be well within our reach in the near term.

We have seen that the majority of stakeholders can find common ground in this debate. Those that continue to fight this progress simply don’t understand the needs of everyday working people who are depending on the federal government to implement policies that will help create jobs. The FCC should not ignore the progress that has been made. We cannot allow this window of opportunity to close. There is simply too much at stake.