Sen. Kerry has released a letter to the FCC today asking them to write the rules for the upcoming 700 Mhz spectrum auction to make the internet “more competitive, affordable and widespread.” The letter states the problem in the country now:

The U.S. is lagging behind much of the world in broadband penetration. Nearly 60% of the country does not subscribe to broadband service—in large measure because it is either unavailable or unaffordable. My home state of Massachusetts, which is a nationwide leader in innovation and technological advancement, still faces severe challenges in broadband deployment. There are many areas of our state that remain underserved. The 700 MHz auction could put this country one step closer to achieving ubiquitous broadband Internet access throught America.

<!-more-> The letter goes on to explain the benefits that reserving a large portion of the spectrum for public access will bring:

With the 7000 MHz auction we have a crucial opportunity to address these long-standing problems. This auction provides a rare opportunity to develop wireless broadband Internet services in pursuit of the President’s publicly stated goal to achieve ubiquitous broadband by the end of 2007.

Dramatically expanding wireless broadband may not be the silver bullet that solves all of our broadband challenges—but it will certainly be a big step in the right direction. Ultimately, the Commission should establish auction and service rules that maximize the likelihood of innovation and competitive entry in the broadband wireless market.

The rules should ensure the broadest level of participation in the auction with an eye towards promoting new broadband competition—enabling entrepreneurs and new market entrants to provide affordable, competitive high-speed wireless broadband services. The Commission should look to innovative methods to make the public airwaves a hotbed of technological development by making bandwidth available to new business models.

Save Our Internet, a non-profit coalition group set up to advance the cause of Net Neutrality and to ensure that the Internet remains free of as many financial roadblocks to access as possible, has published Sen. Kerry’s letter to the FCC here on their website.

Save Our Internet has already collected over a million and a half signatures on an online petition that calls for Congress and the FCC to support the principles of Net Neutrality and to preserve democratic access to the ‘net for all. Ensuring that the rules that govern how this spectrum will be divided up and used, aid that goal of making sure the Internet remains accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Take a minute and go to the Save Our Internet website and see just how many different groups, from various political backgrounds, have come together to advance the goal of making sure as many people as possible can afford to join in on the digital conversation.

Save Our Internet has a great explanation of what Net Neutrality is on their FAQ page. This write-up explains what this issue is about, how the 700MHz spectrum auction plays into it and how you can take action to help keep the ‘net open and affordable to all’. Pay them a visit and learn how you can take action that keeps the Internet a vital and thriving place of open communications, accessible to and affordable by all.