Messaging, Communication and “OpenInternet.gov”

The “Open Internet” is the Internet as we know it. It’s open because it uses free, publicly available standards that anyone can access and build to, and it treats all traffic that flows across the network in roughly the same way. But the Internet’s openness appears to face some emerging challenges, such as incidents where broadband providers have restricted the applications their customers can use over their Internet connections, a lack of transparency about how consumers’ Internet service will function, and congestion on the network.

In light of these emerging challenges and uncertainties about existing policies, the FCC began a process to seek public input on draft rules of the road that would clarify and supplement current FCC policies to protect the open Internet.

Challenges:

The idea of “net neutrality” pits commercial interests against public expectations. With legislation pre-dating the Internet confining regulatory interests of the FCC, the Commission needed a dynamic platform to share ideas, communicate with the public, and engage in online discussions in order to shape a policy that protects American interests.

Solution:

Despite being faced with an aggressive “fast tracked” deadline, we created this dashboard in a matter of days as a platform for the Chairman to present his ideas and the Commission’s stance on net neutrality. At launch, the site comprised YouTube videos, live streamed videos with open comments and a full blog, ready for FCC use in posting new messages and public engagement. With the Chairman calling for fair, open and deliberate conversations, we designed the dashboard to collect input from anywhere and anyone.

Taking an iterative approach to building up Openinternet.gov, we launched an upgraded site to coincide with the FCC’s October Open Commission Meeting. Loaded with additional pages without sacrificing the look or flexibility, we redesigned and expanded the dashboard to accommodate numerous speeches and third party applications. One, an idea and voting platform, allowed the Commission to collect ideas from citizens, the first use of crowd-sourcing information at the FCC.

Notable Results:

As the debate continues about Internet standards, Openinternet.gov’s blog receives a record setting 10,000 comments from the public. The site successfully integrates offline press relations with online measures, allowing the media bureau to track mentions and public perception (e.g. favorable or negative impressions) and connect with the global press in a way previously unimaginable.