It's 2020, and many North Carolinians don't have reliable access to affordable, quality Internet service. From slow speeds to unreliable connections and high prices, the list of issues is long and frustrating. If our communities could partner with local Internet providers, we could solve these problems. But out-of-state corporations are blocking us from choosing providers who could give us the Internet service we deserve.
We deserve affordable Internet access so we can run our businesses, communicate with our families, and educate our kids. The big companies have had decades to invest, but they blew it. Now, our communities should be empowered to build the networks we need, with the partners we pick.
Some of the fastest and most reliable Internet connections in the U.S. are provided through local investments and partnerships. But in North Carolina, out-of-state Internet corporations have a chokehold on our Internet connections. What's worse, they often misrepresent the quality of their Internet service, causing rural communities to lose out on federal funding for reliable rural broadband connections. We should be able to solve this issue in our own communities, through fair partnerships that would grow local jobs and provide dependable, affordable Internet access for all of us.
Internet access affects our daily lives from financial and educational opportunities to connecting with our loved ones. Our communities should be able to make decisions about our networks—not corporate special interests and their lobbyists. Sign the petition and stand with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in support of local Internet choice for North Carolina.
