The FCC's role in getting Internet access to all

[Commentary] In a post-Civil Rights era, we should be beyond a time when there were such clear gaps in the rights and opportunities for different members of our society. Unfortunately, the Feb. 17 news article "Survey maps out digital divide" confirmed what low-income Americans have known for a long time: America has work to do before our vision of an equal society is a reality. The data released by the Commerce Department definitively shows that large sections of the country have little to no access to high-speed Internet service. This means drastically fewer opportunities for millions of Americans to take classes, apply for jobs or attract employers to struggling areas. To make sure that efforts to increase Internet access are effective, we need the Federal Communications Commission to have the authority to set real and meaningful rules for Internet service providers to benefit all Americans. The Senate must counteract the House's recent mistake and block the amendment that would strip the FCC of its ability to do its job. When it comes to the digital divide, the FCC is our best chance of getting an effective and equitable solution.