The MCG Committee has written to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to them to support net neutrality. The text of our letter is below.

We owe particular thanks to The Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH) Open Letter on Net Neutrality for the impetus for and form of our letter. The international Museums and the Web conference has also posted on ‘Net Neutrality and the Future of Museums Online’. If you want to find out more and perhaps write to the FCC as an organisation or individual, the ACH has compiled a page on Net Neutrality Info and Action.

May 8, 2014

Dear FCC Chairman Wheeler,

We write as the Committee for the Museums Computer Group. The Museums Computer Group represents a broad and long-standing community of researchers, curators, educators, marketing specialists, registrars, administrators, audience researchers, exhibition and interactive designers, software developers, academics, technologists and other professionals working in museums and digital heritage.

While the Museums Computer Group is based in the United Kingdom, every audience member and institution we work with would be affected if net neutrality was lost and non-discriminatory access to information was put at risk in the United States of America. The creativity and innovation inspired by the cultural and heritage sectors are best supported by the truly open internet. We therefore urge the FCC to reclassify broadband service as ‘common carrier’ telecommunications in the United States.

Please fulfil your responsibility to the international public and make it possible for the FCC to assert strong network neutrality regulations by announcing on May 15th that you will reclassify Internet broadband providers as common carriers.

Yours sincerely,

Mia Ridge

Chair, Museums Computer Group

On behalf of the Museums Computer Group Committee