Attorney General Cuccinelli, We, the undersigned, are writing to express our strident disapproval over your plans

to dismantle the FCCs new Net Neutrality rules. In fact, we would find a word stronger than disapproval if we werent so busy disapproving. We hear that youre planning on gathering allies to sue the FCC in an attempt to block their ability to maintain an open Internet. In the announcement on your site, you used of the phrase so-called net neutrality. We take it that you are dubious of the term, but this is something the Open Source Democracy Foundation cares deeply about, so please allow us to shed some light on the matter: Net Neutrality is the principle that content on the Internet should be treated without discrimination by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The FCC passed a rule last December declaring that no ISP could ever manipulate traffic to benefit its bottom line or to quell free speech. And though these rules were not as strong as they needed to be (for example, they dont apply to wireless internet), they are a step in the right direction. Vint Cerf known as the "Father of the Internet" -sums up how critical this issue is: As we move to a broadband environment and eliminate century-old non-discrimination requirements, a lightweight but enforceable neutrality rule is needed to ensure that the Internet continues to thrive. Telephone companies cannot tell consumers who they can call; network operators should not dictate what people can do online. Attorney General Cuccinelli, are you in favor of behemoths like Comcast or Verizon deciding what you see and do on the Internet? Would you like it if the government made that decision for you? Do you want us to set up a debate between you and Vint Cerf? The answer to all three of those is probably a resounding No! You called Net Neutrality regulations, egregious violations of federal law. But to be fair, you said the same thing about EPA regulations and the health care law before you were rebuked. In fact, these lawsuits of yours seem to be a calling card. So, if you insist on fighting a crusade on behalf of the users of the Internet, how about investigating why there is so little competition in the broadband market? Did you know that in Britain, people can choose from over 400 broadband providers, while in the United States, 96% of homes have only two broadband options and an amazing 21% have only one? And in Britain, they not only pay less than we do, but they get significantly faster data rates. Now, there's a disparity worth looking into. Mr. Attorney General, Net Neutrality is sacrosanct for millions upon millions if Internet users. We know that right now opposing it seems like an easy way to score some political points, but this lawsuit will only serve to harm those whom you represent, not defend them. In the end, wed like to know whose rights you are defending, because we know it isnt ours nor the citizens of Virginia.

Sincerely Yours, The Open Source Democracy Foundation