In a letter to members of the Public Utility and Deregulation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the ACLU of Northern California has urged the Committee to ensure that AT&T allows all Internet service providers equal access to its cable system so they can offer high speed Internet access to their subscribers. The Committee is scheduled to hold hearings on a proposed ordinance addressing this issue on Tuesday, May 23 in Room 263 of City Hall at 1:00 p.m.

Currently, San Franciscans who sign up for cable Internet access through AT&T must use Excite @ Home as their Internet service provider. Customers who wish to use a different ISP must pay for both Excite @ Home and the ISP of their choice. As the ACLU points out in its letter, if Internet access is available only through a single Internet service provider, that service provider can dictate whether users have full access to the Internet or only access to websites that the ISP approves. This could result in users being denied access to controversial content and opinion. It is critical that there be a multiplicity of ISPs to pick from so that Internet users can choose the kind of Internet access they prefer.

As the ACLU notes in its letter: "The Internet currently provides a unique opportunity to make the marketplace of ideas a reality. This Committee must not let the marketplace of commerce destroy that possibility."