Armstrong has a long history of strict compliance with all regulatory rules and procedures required of our industry and takes the trust and confidence that our customers place in us very seriously. Despite changes in the federal agencies of jurisdiction and their authority, Armstrong has always adhered the principles and practices of an open Internet. Our customers enjoy access to the web content, services and applications of their choosing without interference and Armstrong remains committed to those values, irrespective of whether the recent rule changes are reversed.
On Thursday, December 14, the FCC will meet to vote on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal to return to the longstanding, light-touch regulatory framework under which a free and open Internet flourished for almost 20 years. The Title II Common Carrier rules were part of the original Telecommunications act of 1934 and with the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 the United States Congress fostered two decades of unprecedented growth as evidenced by the investment of approximately $1.5 trillion by Internet Service Providers in our nations broadband infrastructure. That investment has slowed since 2015 when 80 year old policies under authority of Title II regulation were extended from “communication services” to regulate “information services”, as defined by Congress in 1996.
Over nearly two decades, the Internet has evolved into ever-expanding engine driving the American economy, offering new and innovative changes to how we work, learn and play; the way we receive health care; the way we create and enjoy entertainment and has changed forever the way we interact with one another.
Whatever the outcome of this vote or any subsequent legislation by Congress, Armstrong remains committed to embracing and fostering the development of an open Internet where companies do not block, throttle or otherwise interfere with a customer’s desire to go wherever they want on the internet. Customers demand it and, more importantly, it makes good business sense to provide it.
To learn more about restoring Internet Freedom, visit the FCC’s website at https://www.fcc.gov/restoring-internet-freedom.