The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a significant step forward on Thursday by voting to advance a proposal aimed at reinstating the landmark net neutrality rules and reasserting regulatory oversight over broadband internet services, as per a report from Reuters.
The commission voted 3-2 to support a proposal to restore the open internet regulations first adopted in 2015 while reestablishing the FCC's authority over the broadband internet domain. This decision overturns a 2017 decision that prohibited internet service providers from engaging in activities such as blocking or throttling traffic and offering paid fast lanes, also known as paid prioritisation. According to the report, the FCC intends to gather public input before finalising the plan, with a vote scheduled for next year.
According to the report, the Federal Communications Commission's action sets the stage for the reintroduction of net neutrality regulations, which were repealed during the previous Trump administration. The FCC commissioners, led by Democrats, voted 3 to 2, mostly along party lines, to begin a lengthy process to reinstate net neutrality rules.
According to the report, these rules are intended to prohibit broadband providers from impeding or slowing down services provided by platforms such as Google and Netflix on their networks.
Notably, telecommunications companies and Republicans have strongly opposed the proposal, claiming that it imposes an undue burden on broadband providers. However, the FCC's decision to move forward with the proposal indicates an expansion of its regulatory authority.
This progression places the agency in a position to classify high-speed internet as a utility, equating it to essential services such as water and electricity. This is a significant step forward in modernising the agency's goals, especially as consumers increasingly rely on the internet as their primary means of communication, according to the report. With this increased authority, the FCC will be better able to monitor broadband providers, ensuring net neutrality compliance, preventing consumer harm, and addressing security concerns.
In a statement, Jessica Rosenworcel, the chair of the FCC, emphasized the timeliness of these regulations: "Now is the time for our rules of the road for internet service providers to reflect the reality that internet access is a necessity for daily life."
What Is Net Neutrality?
Net neutrality is a complex principle advocating for equal access to the internet.
According to the New York Times, the concept asserts that broadband consumers should have unrestricted access to any website without interference from high-speed internet service providers.
According to the report, this concept was first proposed over 15 years ago by Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia Law School, to prevent cable and telecom companies providing internet services from impeding or slowing the delivery of websites that compete with their own offerings, such as Google, Netflix, and Skype.
The debate over net neutrality has become extremely partisan. During the Obama administration, the FCC established net neutrality regulations, which Republicans criticised as regulatory overreach, as per the report. Telecom companies have also expressed concerns, claiming that these rules could lead to regulatory expansion and broadband pricing regulation. The FCC repealed these regulations in 2017 under Republican leadership during President Donald J Trump's administration.