RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, High-speed Internet access is essential in the 21st century for both individuals and businesses, for economic competitiveness, social interactions, information sharing, the free exchange of ideas, and quality of life purposes; and
WHEREAS, Broadband infrastructure is vital to the operation and management of other critical infrastructures that touch every aspect of our daily life, including energy generation systems, the power grid, water supply systems, E-commerce, smart cities and homes, public safety and emergency response systems, medical facilities, educational institutions, libraries, and more; and
WHEREAS, The maintenance of equitable access to technology, the Internet, digital content, and all the other tools the Internet has to offer are necessary for all individuals and businesses to survive and compete in the 21st century. Furthermore, the Internet has become one of the most used resources to disseminate information quickly and broadly, leading to powerful social movements that have caused widespread social change and movements across the world; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted open Internet rules on February 26, 2015, to protect free expression and innovation on the Internet and to promote investment in the Nation's broadband networks. Those open Internet rules ensure that consumers and businesses have access to a fast, fair, and open Internet by imposing three basic rules: (1) Broadband providers shall not block access to lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices; (2) Broadband providers shall not impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic on the basis of content, application, or service, or use of a non-harmful device; and (3) Broadband providers shall not favor some lawful Internet traffic over other lawful Internet traffic in exchange for consideration of any kind; and
WHEREAS, Because the Internet must be a place in which companies, large and small, as well as individual developers, can compete on a level playing field, the City of Chicago supports net neutrality as a principle that underpins a fast, fair, and open Internet for consumers and businesses to ensure equal access to lawful content by prohibiting paid prioritization, throttling, and blocking; and
WHEREAS, On December 14, 2017, the FCC voted 3-2 along party lines to repeal the net neutrality protections put in place in 2015. This repeal allows internet service providers to begin blocking access to lawful Internet traffic, throttling the speed of competitors' websites, content or devices, charging businesses additional fees to ensure their content is given priority or speedy access over others, charging consumers more in monthly fees based on the type of content they access, and leaves consumers with little to no recourse to fight these unfair restrictions. Furthermore, the FCC's actions limit the regulations that states and municipalities can impose to combat anti-competitive behavior by broadband providers; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this seventeenth day of January, 2018, express our strong support for net neutrality, oppose the recent repeal of the net neutrality rules put in place in 2015, and respectfully urge the President of the United States, Congress, and the FCC to reverse this ill-considered action and to continue to protect open and free access to the Internet; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we respectfully call on all members of Congress, particularly lllinois's congressional delegation, to support legislative action to vacate the FCC's December 14, 2017 decision to repeal the net neutrality rules and return the protections that provided for a free and open internet; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Illinois delegation to the United States Congress as a sign of our dedication to and support ofthis important issue.
Proco Joe Moreno Alderman, 1st Ward