The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to dismantle net neutrality, the rules that regulate internet businesses. This decision gives broadband companies power to limit internet access for consumers. In an interview with Boston Public Radio Thursday, Rep. Michael Capuano said this change will have huge impact and confuse a lot of people in coming months.
“Months ago, I didn’t understand these issues, I had to have an explanation of it,” Capuano said. “When you do understand it, once they implement it, there will come a day very soon that the average person says, ‘what happened to my bill? Why am I paying more now, and why is this website so much faster than that website?’”
The five commissioners were divided along party lines. Capuano said this change will have major negative implications for politicians who voted against regulations.
“When they get the explanation, the people that vote for this,” Capuano said, “the people that allow it to happen, the Republicans that don’t allow us to fix it legislatively, I think they will pay a political price — and they should.”
Capuano is a longtime supporter of net neutrality, and on Wednesday his wife Barbara’s name appeared among the alleged commenters in favor of repealing the rules.
“Let’s clear that one up right away — my wife Barbara was the victim of fraud, when it comes right down to it,” Capuano said. “Somebody submitted a comment and used her name.”
Capuano said he thinks it was a coincidence that his wife's name was used, not an intentional attack on him.
According to a Pew Research Center analysis, 57 percent of the over 21 million comments received by the FCC used duplicate or false personal information.
“The people on the other side really have very little support and just made up names, they went through the phone book and picked names out,” Capuano said. “I can’t imagine that they intentionally picked out the wife of a member of Congress.”
To hear Rep. Michael Capuano’s full interview with “Boston Public Radio,” click on the audio link above.
