WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 11, 2015): This week, a House-Senate conference committee approved the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, H.R. 644, which would replace the temporary moratorium on Internet access taxes with a permanent ban. The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) has long advocated that a permanent ban on state and local taxation of Internet access is one of the key components to closing the digital divide. This ban will prevent an increase in the cost of broadband access for all Americans.
Internet access taxes impose additional barriers to broadband adoption and use, which ultimately impacts the nation’s ability to connect every citizen. MMTC believes the congressional committee was correct in its decision to make the Internet Tax Freedom Act permanent, rather than settling for another temporary extension. This congressional action will prevent the imposition of innumerable taxes that would have impacted access to the Internet and its many benefits, including access to jobs, education, healthcare, and civic engagement.
“We support congressional action to permanently eliminate taxes that could deter citizens who daily have to decide between broadband and bread,” stated MMTC President and CEO Kim M. Keenan. “Net equality is the goal of giving every American access to a digital future. The original Internet tax moratorium has been extended five times since 1998, and it is past time to put this issue to rest.”
About MMTC:
The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity and civil rights in the mass media, telecommunications and broadband industries, and closing the digital divide. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation’s leading advocate for minority advancement in communications.
