There has been a lot going on in Fishers lately.  There are squabbles about the school calendar at Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, a popular pizza restaurant in the heart of downtown Fishers has closed abruptly & unexpectedly…and the Fishers Freedom Festival is in the process of winding down the nonprofit group that has run the event since 1989.  That’s a lot of news in just a few weeks time.

On top of all that, I have a contract to travel the state this time of year as an instructor for Indiana University.  That means it is a bit more difficult for me to track local developments.

I have been wanting to write about this issue, but just now have reserved the time to do so.  I respectfully ask that you read what I have to say.

I am writing this to give you all a warning that this local news blog, and my podcasts, could all be history if one federal agency conducts a vote in December and the outcome is the one all observers are expecting.

If Net Neutrality rules, first established in 2005 by the George W. Bush administration and strengthened during the administration of Barack Obama, are repealed or greatly relaxed, my news blog and podcast series could be a thing of the past.

Am I being alarmist about this?  I do not think so.  I will explain why.

If the Net Neutrality rules are changed as expected by the Federal Communications Commission, you may soon find it difficult or impossible to access LarryInFishers.com.  I am just a locally-focused, small blog.  I have no commercial sponsors.  I am just a volunteer trying to serve my community during a period of time when news coverage is lacking here due to the economic changes in the news business.

If the big providers of Internet service (AT&T, Comcast, Verizon etc.) decide LarryInFishers is not that important to them economically, they could block my content in favor of other sites willing and able to pay them.  If not blocking, these firms could “throttle” my blog and podcasts, meaning it would take so long to load onto your computer or phone that you would likely give up on it.

For the “small fish” on the Internet, such as LarryInFishers.com, it is conceivable that we would disappear from sight on what is now a neutral Internet playing field.  The large Internet Service Providers would have complete freedom and discretion to do just that.

You may have seen the statements from companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon.  They all claim they will not block or slow down any “lawful” sites on the Web.  That’s what they say now.  That could change in the future.  That’s what has many of us worried.

After writing here recently that I was contemplating ending this blog after nearly 6 years of providing this service, I was deluged with wonderful comments asking me to continue, so I have.  But this change in the Net Neutrality regulatory framework is the biggest threat to Internet offerings such as mine.

If you do care about LarryInFishers.com and want it to continue, I would urge you to contact Congresswoman Susan Brooks and our two senators, Joe Donnelly and Todd Young.  Since the Federal Communications Commission vote will likely change the Net Neutrality rules, there will almost certainly be litigation on this issue.

As the litigation delays implementation, Congress has the right to intervene at any time.  I would urge all citizens of Fishers to contact your two senators and member of the House.  That is the only way Net Neutrality has a chance of being preserved.

In a new world without Net Neutrality, LarryInFishers.com and my podcasts have a very uncertain future.

Contact information for Congresswoman Susan Brooks is available at this link.

Contact information for Senator Todd Young is available at this ink.

Contact Senator Joe Donnelly at this link.