OTI to FCC: Grant First Responders’ Request to Extend Net Neutrality Deadline

New America’s Open Technology Institute filed comments today in support of firefighters and other local officials in California and New York who have asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to extend a comment deadline in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The FCC is currently seeking comments on how the 2017 repeal of net neutrality has impacted public safety. The proceeding was triggered by a court order that admonished the FCC for ignoring its duty to protect public safety in 2017. Localities asked for a 60-day extension of the April 20 deadline because they are currently “fully occupied in responding to the current emergency.”

The following quote can be attributed to Joshua Stager, senior counsel at New America’s Open Technology Institute:

“We support the first responders who have asked the FCC to postpone next week’s deadline. These people are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the FCC should respect their needs. Their perspectives are critical to understanding how FCC decisions affect public safety, so the agency should do everything it can to ensure their voices are heard. The federal record would be incomplete without their participation. When first responders ask for more time, the federal government should listen.”