Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin: It's Time to Move Forward on Issue of Net Neutrality

Shirley Franklin says preserving open Internet while focusing on priorities of Americans such as restoration of economy & solution to job creation paramount.

Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has penned another riveting article about net neutrality and says it is time to move forward. It should be noted that an important vote is coming up tomorrow, December 21st. Here's the article in its entirety:

It's Time to Move Forward
By Shirley Franklin

Recently Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Genachowski announced a compromise on net neutrality that will be voted on at the agency's December 21 meeting. After months of contentious debate, the proposal reflects a middle ground solution that upholds the Commission's commitment to preserving the open Internet while maintaining a focus on the priorities of the American people: restoration of our economy and a solution to create jobs. My hope is that this compromise will provide the necessary closure to this debate that will increase certainty in the marketplace and spur investment needed to drive us forward.

The Internet has proven to be a transforming technology – connecting people to school, work and commerce and providing communication from anywhere, at any time. Today's broadband holds unprecedented possibilities for the future, particularly for low-income Americans and communities of color that have traditionally been left behind. Unfortunately, the protracted debate over net neutrality has served as a roadblock to connecting more Americans to this great tool, standing in the way of real opportunity at a time when we need it most. With a vote to support the compromise the FCC can move to settle the issue, putting it behind us to shift focus to implementing a key component of the National Broadband Plan – making affordable broadband available to 100 percent of Americans.

As the FCC Commissioners consider this proposal, my hope is that the commissioners will reject the partisan bickering and find a middle ground solution, in this case a compromise, that settles the debate and moves our attention to getting Americans back to work. Now is the time for us to come together on an issue that will benefit the future of America.

Having considered all sides of the debate, Chairman Genachowski has proposed a workable and reasonable solution that promotes private investment and will spur job creation.

Shirley Franklin is a Senior Advisor to the Alliance for Digital Equality and is the former mayor of Atlanta.

Please share your thoughts on this subject and the upcoming vote Tuesday. Job Creation is paramount in this tough economic climate and I urge each person to pay close attention to how this plays out.