WASHINGTON — Republicans and telecommunication giants are exploiting veterans in a bid to repeal net neutrality in California and to block potential policy reinstatement at the federal level.

Republican members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee publicly issued a letter to Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairperson. In the letter, the Republicans accuse net neutrality regulations which they claim “impose stringent net neutrality regulations, which could result in Americans losing their internet offerings.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of being able to access the Internet anywhere, anytime,” notes the letter they sent. “The Internet is a vital resource, and Americans rely on it daily to work, learn, receive health care, and stay connected to family and friends. Our nation’s broadband providers responded to this pandemic by improving their networks and offering free or reduced-priced services for consumers, and we urge you not to impose stringent net neutrality regulations that may result in Americans losing their internet services.”

However, where it gets screwy is when the Republicans allege that net neutrality rules like the ones California implemented not too long ago violate veterans’ abilities to use a mobile app that former military members can use to access video telehealth resources provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Telecommunication firms, in March, reportedly leaked a letter to POLITICO that officials from the VA were concerned that California’s net neutrality law would throttle speed and access for veterans across the country who rely on the telehealth app. The letter was supposedly a government communication between agencies that featured the input from telecom executives seeking a potential stake in the argument against the new internet regulations.

Being that virtually every digital asset in the United States is touched in some way by a California-based technology company, the concerns are certainly valid. Unfortunately, the coordination of using military veterans as a political football to challenge net neutrality restoration efforts at the federal level could prove problematic for virtually any adjacent stakeholder group. That being the case, several companies operating in the adult entertainment industry rely on net neutrality protections in order to prevent censorship from major companies like Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T.

Republicans and their political operatives, via the letter, are falsely claiming that veterans are being cut off from the essential healthcare services they need. Brendan Carr, a Republican-leaning FCC commissioner, is also pushing such misinformation. If Republicans and telecoms are successful under even a Biden White House and a Democratic-controlled Congress, this could be problematic for the industry. Luckily, the Free Speech Coalition and hundreds of other organizations in favor of the open internet mantra have furnished persuasive arguments in favor of protecting net neutrality legislation at the state level. And, hopefully, acting chairperson Rosenworcel will act in favor of an open internet.

Network hub photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels