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Last Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a party-line vote decided to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service. This allows the FCC to impose more regulations on broadband Internet providers as if they were a public utility. The FCC intervened due to concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will discriminate against network traffic, speeding up some Internet sites that would be willing to pay them a special fee, while reducing the speeds of other sites that either refused to pay or were in competition with other operations of the ISP. This so-called “net neutrality,” which treats all Internet data the same, has become a highly charged political issue, with conservatives warning that the FCC’s decision will stifle innovation and liberals championing the FCC’s decision as a victory for consumer interests.
This topic brief will discuss the road to the FCC’s recent net neutrality decision, what its regulations will do, and the potential political and legal battles ahead regarding net neutrality. Extempers should read last year’s brief on net neutrality to obtain sufficient background on this issue, as this topic brief will center more on the FCC’s vote.
Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.
Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany