<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Several of America\u2019s largest tech companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Yahoo have submitted a letter to the FCC in defense of net neutrality.\r\nThe coalition specifically objected to new rules the FCC is considering that could allow ISPs to charge companies extra to distribute their content to their customers, calling the proposals a \u201Cgrave threat to the Internet.\u201D\r\nFCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn published a blog post on Wednesday reiterating her commitment to an open internet. Interested consumers can also submit their own comments to the FCC here.\r\nHere's the letter in its entirety:\r\n\r\n\r\nDear Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners Clyburn, Rosenworcel, Pai, and O\u2019Reilly:\r\nWe write to express our support for a free and open internet. Over the past twenty years, American innovators have created countless Internet-based applications, content offerings, and services that are used around the world. These innovations have created enormous value for Internet users, fueled economic growth, and made our Internet companies global leaders. The innovation we have seen to date happened in a world without discrimination. An open Internet has also been a platform for free speech and opportunity for billions of users.\r\nThe Commission\u2019s long-standing commitment and actions undertaken to protect the open Internet are a central reason why the Internet remains an engine of entrepreneurship and economic growth.\r\nAccording to recent news reports, the Commission intends to propose rules that would enable phone and cable Internet service providers to discriminate both technically and financially against Internet companies and to impose new tolls on them. If these reports are correct, this represents a grave threat to the Internet.\r\nInstead of permitting individualized bargaining and discrimination, the Commission\u2019s rules should protect users and Internet companies on both fixed and mobile platforms against blocking, discrim- ination, and paid prioritization, and should make the market for Internet services more transparent. The rules should provide certainty to all market participants and keep the costs of regulation low.\r\nSuch rules are essential for the future of the Internet. This Commission should take the necessary steps to ensure that the Internet remains an open platform for speech and commerce so that America continues to lead the world in technology markets.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nHere's a list of the more than 150 companies, including The Next Web, that signed the letter:\r\nAmazon\r\nCogent\r\nDropbox\r\nEbay\r\nEtsy\r\nFacebook\r\nFoursquare\r\nGoogle\r\nKickstarter\r\nLevel 3\r\nLinkedIn\r\nLyft\r\nMicrosoft\r\nNetflix\r\nReddit\r\nTumblr\r\nTwitter\r\nVonage Holdings Corp.\r\nYahoo! Inc.\r\nZynga\r\n2600hz, Inc.\r\n2redbeans\r\n4chan\r\n8x8, Inc.\r\nAddy\r\nAdviserDeck\r\nAgile Learning Labs\r\nAirdroids\r\nAirHelp\r\nAnalyticsMD\r\nAppar\r\nApportable\r\nAppRebates\r\nApptology\r\nAssembly Made, Inc.\r\nAuthentise\r\nAutomattic/WordPress.com\r\nBadgerMapping\r\nBitnami\r\nBitTorrent\r\nBlu Zone C\r\nBeyond\r\nChirply\r\nClef\r\nCloudFare\r\nCodecademy\r\nCodeCombat\r\nCodeHS\r\nCodeScience\r\nColourful Rebel\r\nContextly\r\nCoursera\r\nCrowdTilt\r\nCube, Co\r\ndasData\r\nDigg\r\nDistinc.tt\r\nDuckDuckGo\r\nDuolingo\r\nDynaOptics\r\nEmbedly\r\nFandor\r\nFloor64\r\nFlowroute\r\nFlurry\r\nFonebook\r\nFuneral Innovations\r\nGandi\r\nGawker\r\nGeneral Assembly\r\nGithub\r\nGrid\r\nHandy Networks\r\nHaystack.tv\r\nHeavybit Industries\r\nHelloSign\r\nHeyZap\r\niFixit\r\niLost\r\nImgur\r\nInstapaper\r\ninXile Entertainment\r\nKaltura\r\nLawGives\r\nLeaflad\r\nLendUp\r\nLinearair\r\nLinknovate\r\nlittleBits\r\nLucipher.net\r\nMDDHosting LLC\r\nMedium\r\nMeetup\r\nMeteor Development Group\r\nMinds + Machines\r\nMisk\r\nMixRank\r\nMobileWorks\r\nMotionry\r\nMozartMedical\r\nMozilla\r\nNOTCOT Inc\r\nO\u2019Reilly Media\r\nOfficeNinjas\r\nOpen Materials\r\nOpen Spectrum\r\nOpenDNS\r\nOpera Software ASA\r\nPayTango\r\nPocket/ReaditLater\r\nPoll Everywhere, Inc\r\nPrintrbot\r\nPublitas.com\r\nRallyware\r\nRecrout\r\nRedbubble\r\nRewheel/Digital Fuel Monitor Reylabs\r\nRogue Labs\r\nShapeways\r\nSidecar\r\nSift Science\r\nSimpolaris\r\nSketchDeck\r\nSkytree\r\nSlidePay, Inc\r\nSocialscope\r\nSolidoodle\r\nSpiderOak\r\nSpoonRocket\r\nSpotfront\r\nStackExchange\r\nStartX Stanford\r\nStatwing\r\nTastemaker\r\nThe Next Web\r\nTriggit\r\nTsumobi\r\nTucows\r\nTwilio\r\nUberConference\r\nUltiMachine\r\nUstream\r\nVidmaker\r\nVolary Foundation\r\nVoys Telecom\r\nWaxy\r\nWorldly\r\nXola Yanomo\r\n\r\n\r\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/05/08/amazon-facebook-google-microsoft-twitter-others-band-together-defend-net-neutrality/>