IamA FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel who voted for Net Neutrality, AMA!

What do you think is the largest long term consquence of repealing Net Neutrality? What seems to be the most effective way to fight this repeal? Do you believe that this repeal can be challenged in court and won?

Today, the United States internet economy is the envy of the world. I believe that's because it rests on a foundation of openness. Net neutrality is a big part of that--and I worry that the economic engine that it has supported will be harmed by this decision.

As for fighting this repeal, the most important thing to do is realize the fight is not over. There will be litigation in the courts. There will be legislative efforts in Congress. There are even legislative efforts in state houses, like Nebraska, Washington, New York, and California.

For those who have routinely called/emailed/faxed congressional representatives and filed comments directly with the FCC regarding support for NN, what would you recommend as a solid next step in the ongoing fight for NN? Surely there is more we can be doing.

The fight is not over. We will see litigation in the courts. We will see action in Congress. Right now, momentum is building for legislation based on the Congressional Review Act. It would, in effect, undo the FCC's misguided net neutrality decision last month. So speak up and reach out to those who represent you. This issue matters and the effort is ongoing.

Are there any plans to address the fake comments?

When I last checked, the FCC received roughly 24 million comments from the public on our net neutrality proceeding. In many ways, that's good. The American people are making known what they think about net neutrality and the future of the internet and they are letting Washington know in droves. But at the same time we saw a lot of funny stuff in our proceeding. There were about 2 million comments with stolen identities, half a million comments from Russian e-mails, and a lot of bogus comments from bots. That's a problem. I said so at the time and I called for a delay in our vote until we got to the bottom of this mess. I wasn't alone. Many members of Congress and state Attorneys General called for the agency to delay its vote and clear this up. Unfortunately, the agency--over my objections--went ahead with the vote anyway. But we still need to get to the bottom of what happened here, because fake comments are not unique to the FCC. We're seeing them filed in other proceedings here in Washington at other agencies, including the Department of Labor and the CFPB.

I live in Central Kentucky but make my way out to Eastern Kentucky/Appalachian areas quite frequently. The network infrastructure leaves lot to be desired.

What can I do at the local level to help support wider access to broadband internet to the indigent or very rural areas?

And thank you for what you do. You're fighting the good fight, and I appreciate all that you do.

You're right. We have a real problem with broadband access in rural America. There are 34 million Americans without access to broadband at home, 23 million of them live in rural communities. We need a plan to ensure that high-speed service reaches them where they live. I think for starters we need to know today where service is and is not. But right now the national broadband map is 3 years out of date. Data that is three years old is like a lifetime in the internet age. We need to fix this. But I don't think that Washington should wait--we can begin by asking the public directly and using the wisdom of crowds. To this end, I set up an e-mail address at the FCC to take in comments about where service is lacking and what can be done to improve it. So please write in to [email protected] and let me know your stories. You can be a part of fixing this infrastructure problem.

What can an average citizen to do to fight against a captured agency?

Make a ruckus. Make your voice heard. I am listening--and I know there are others in Washington who are listening, too. There's a pile of letters from across the country that I have on my desk in my office. They are from people from all walks of life asking the FCC to keep in place its net neutrality policies. I could put them away, but I choose to keep them on the desk right now. It's a reminder that what we decide here has far-reaching consequences across the country.

Hey, thanks so much for all you're doing.

What does the rise of Sinclair (and the completely, totally impartial, fair, unbiased, nonpartisan must-runs like TERRORISM ALERT DESK) mean for the future of American journalism? What should we doing about it?

There is a transaction before the FCC right now that involves the combination of Sinclair and Tribune. It would result in a massive broadcasting company that would be able to reach 72% of the households in this country. No other television company today has that kind of power to influence what we see, hear, and learn. The unprecedented size of this proposed merger should have us all concerned.

Do you think without NN we will see the main ISPs continue to be top dog or will new rivals come along and act as if we still have NN?

We would all benefit from more competition. Today, according to FCC data about half of the households across the country have only one broadband provider. And hey, I'm one of them! We need more choices, not less.

What do you think the government's role should be in assuring broadband connectivity for every citizen? Do you believe we should consider high speed access to the Internet a human right? Why or why not?

Whether or not you call it a human right, there's one thing I know for certain: If you don't have access to the Internet right now, you don't have a fair shot at 21st century success.

Did Ajit ask you to be in his ridiculous meme infused video? I'm legit curious if he thought he could get everyone onboard with that hilarious mess

This is the video I prefer!

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/n9fcdm/the-opposition-with-jordan-klepper-jessica-rosenworcel---internet-freedom-matters-for-all-americans

Thank you for voting for Net Neutrality. It's nice that someone cares about the voices of the people.

Do you feel that the FCC is now divided based on this decision? Were more people in the background for/against NN?

There are a lot of efforts to try and capture public opinion on net neutrality. I think one of the best came right before the vote. It was conducted by the University of Maryland. It found that 83% of the public favored keeping net neutrality rules in place, including 75% of Republicans, 89% of Democrats, and 86% of Independents. In short, support for net neutrality rules is broad based.

What does your average work day look like (aside from presumably at least one failed attempt to talk some sense into Mr. Pai)? Any funny stories you can share with us that don't violate any privacy clauses or similar?

I'm an early riser. I'm a big coffee drinker. (I consume more that I should, but hey, it gets me going.) I drop my kids off at school and then head into the office. A quick review of the morning news, my e-mail, and my twitter feed, and then it's off to meetings and sometimes speeches. But that's the ideal day. And honestly, not every day is ideal. There's always something unexpected--from an inquiry that needs response in the office to a problem at home like not having heat (true story, right now).

How long is it before isps start abusing their newfound powers?

This is hard to say. But I know that companies have the technical ability to block and throttle content. They have the business incentive to do so, too. And now the FCC has given them the legal green light to go ahead. So I'll be watching carefully. I'll bet you will be, too.

What's your favorite Guster album? Seeing your bro tomorrow night! Similarly, are you as good of a singer as he is? Also, thank you for fighting for Net Neutrality, we appreciate your efforts.

I'm a fan of Lost and Gone Forever. Though I also like Easy Wonderful (and especially the Do You Love Me video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-VAlIPzKg). I suspect my parents are the only ones who can legitimately claim they have both a rocker and regulator for children.

Do you think a republican congress can put together and pass a Net Neutrality bill that would make net neutrality proponents happy?

Before we get to substantive legislation, we're going to see Congress try to address this issue through the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA provides Congress with the ability to undo regulatory action it disagrees with. It's a long and hard road ahead, but there is undeniably momentum for the CRA. Right now, I believe there are more than 40 members of the Senate who have co-sponsored CRA legislation and about 80 members of the House who are doing the same.

Mrs. Rosenworcel, before the repeal of Net Neutrality, I regularly called my representatives in the House and Senate. I have recently stopped because I felt it was a lost cause. Is it? What is the biggest thing I can do to ensure Net Neutrality comes back, and what can we do to ensure this isn't something we have to fight for years to come?

Not a lost cause. At all! Keep the effort ongoing. I know most elected representatives keep track of the calls they get and make note of the issues that result in the biggest ruckus. Plus, I expect that in light of the Congressional Review Act effort, there is still a lot of interest in this issue.

What do you think about the horrifically racist things people have said about Ajit Pai, as well as the numerous death threats and threats made to his family? Merits of Net Neutrality notwithstanding, do you think his treatment should be given more attention?

It's unacceptable. Under any circumstances.

Do you like any sports?

Both of my kids are basketball enthusiasts. I love watching them on the court.