The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote to reinstate net neutrality rules and restore authority to broadband Internet, reversing the repeal under former President Donald Trump. in October 2023, the FCC voted 3-2 to propose reinstating the Open Internet rules and reestablishing its authority over broadband Internet. While major tech companies support plans to restore net neutrality, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Comcast Corp. oppose it.
In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the Obama administration, passed a sweeping net neutrality order that prohibited Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from blocking or throttling content and prevented them from creating “fast lanes” for certain types of content or services. However, in 2017, the Republican-controlled FCC voted to repeal that arrangement, freeing broadband providers to block or block content as they see fit.
While net neutrality advocates say that without net neutrality protections, ISPs may allow some companies to pay for priority treatment on broadband networks while restricting access to others. Internet providers, on the other hand, claim that such rules are unnecessary and harmful to investments and innovation.
In 2023, the FCC voted 3-2 to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to reinstate the net neutrality rules, which were rescinded by the Trump FCC in 2018 at the request of ISPs. The telecom industry and its allies in Congress came out in opposition to the proposal.
God Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents major technology companies such as Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Meta Platforms, supports the return of net neutrality rules, emphasizing the importance of maintaining open access to the Internet. On the other hand, USTelecomwhich includes members like AT&T and Verizon, opposes the effort to restore net neutrality, labeling it “completely counterproductive, unnecessary and an anti-consumer regulatory distraction.”
If the FCC votes to adopt net neutrality rules again, it will ensure that broadband services are treated as an essential resource Eligible for FCC oversight under Title II authorityHence the restoration of the FCC’s authority to prevent broadband providers from blocking or slowing down content on the Internet.
Through Reuters