FCC Chairman continues to insist he wants to defend net neutrality

Earlier this week, many of the biggest technology companies on the planet sent a letter to FCC chairman Tom Wheeler arguing strongly in favor of an open internet. Now, Wheeler has issued a direct response, saying “my commitment to protect and preserve the open internet remains steadfast.” Wheeler’s letter, published by The Washington Post, also reaffirms his plan to “use every power at our disposal” to keep the internet from being divided “between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots.'”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler responded Friday to some of the most vocal critics of his proposal to allow Internet providers to charge content providers like Netflix for faster access to customers. In a letter to a tech coalition that includes Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and nearly 150 other companies, Wheeler said he will regulate broadband companies more heavily if the situation called for it. Wheeler added that as an entrepreneur, he has also been “subject to being blocked from access to cable networks.” “It is an experience that made me especially wary of the power of closed networks to innovate on their own agenda to the detriment of small entrepreneurs,” Wheeler wrote.