While recent headlines give the impression Federal Communications Chairman Ajit Pai is doing everything in his power to sabotage the World Wide Web as we know it, in fact, the opposite is true.

Recent action taken by the FCC ensures the internet will continue to fuel innovation, commerce, and communication for years to come. U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers understood this and deserves credit for supporting the FCC’s efforts.

Here’s why.

First of all, the internet that we rely on today has been allowed to flourish and grow for more than 20 years, giving us the revolutionary new ecosystem that has changed all of our lives.

Looking back, the progress that happened during those 20 years is nothing short of remarkable. Private investment of more than $1 trillion dollars delivered the wired and wireless broadband networks we see today.

High-speed broadband has replaced once ubiquitous dial-up connections for most—but not all—families in Washington. Flip phones evolved into smartphones, and today we have more computing power in our pocket than desktop PCs did just a decade ago. 

However, in 2015, the FCC adopted a set of rules known as the Open Internet Order, giving itself the authority to regulate broadband internet access services for the first time.

Having been unable to get Congress to give it such power and being denied in the courts, the FCC based the order on an arcane rule originally developed for the 1930s-era copper telephone system—commonly referred to as “Title II” regulations.

This power grab marked a dramatic departure from the federal government’s “hands off” approach that both previous Democratic and Republican administrations had endorsed—and that gave us that booming new ecosystem.

Saddling the dynamic internet sector with Title II rules has done nothing but stifle innovation and slow the deployment and adoption of high-speed broadband in Washington.

For proof, just look at network investments since the 2015 order; according to several reports, top network providers AT&T Inc. and Verizon both have reduced network investments by 16.4 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively. Sprint has reduced investment by over 62 percent.

The simple reality is too many Washingtonians are on the wrong side of the digital divide, particularly Eastern Washingtonians. Fixing that requires substantial planning and heavy investment.

So, while there are a lot of hysterics about this recent rollback of the order, rest assured that the internet will continue to fuel innovation, economic growth, and improve our daily lives.

While Washington ranks 14th nationally in connectivity, several counties in Eastern Washington remain woefully underserved. Which is the very reason McMorris Rodgers supported the rollback—network investment is needed in rural communities. Investment is the only way for those Eastern Washington communities get modern service.

Tom Gurr is executive director of Pacific Technology Alliance, a coalition of technology leaders,
rural and urban organizations, and trade groups working to promote choice and access to
technology for Pacific Northwest consumers.