The Internet's Key Regulator Is on the Warpath on Net Neutrality

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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on cell phones on planes.

Image: Susan Walsh/Associated Press

By Jason Abbruzzese2014-04-30 19:23:23 UTC

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler really, really wants you to believe him.

As the FCC prepares to rewrite regulations that will have a major impact on net neutrality, Wheeler has been on the warpath, seeking to allay fears that his proposed rules would open a Pandora's box and ruin the openness of the Internet.

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In a speech at The Cable Show, a cable industry event in Los Angeles, Wheeler struck a defiant tone.

"Put away the party hats," he said, directing his comments at groups that opposed net neutrality, including broadband providers.

"Let me be clear. If someone acts to divide the Internet between 'haves' and 'have nots,' we will use every power at our disposal to stop it," Wheeler said.

Concerns about the separation of haves and have nots began when reports emerged that the FCC planned to circulate new Open Internet rules to address a 2010 court decision that partially struck down the existing regulations. Wheeler's proposal includes a provision that would allow "commercially reasonable" deals between content providers and the companies that control the pipes of the Internet.

The "commercially reasonable" phrase sparked concern among Internet watchdogs, who feared it would allow powerful companies to form preferential arrangements, leaving startups and innovators at a disadvantage.

Wheeler said that concern about the "commercially reasonable" clause "misses the point that any new rule will assure an open pathway that is sufficiently robust to enable consumers to access the content, services and applications they demand and innovators and edge providers the ability to offer new products and services."

Wheeler's comments follow a blog post he wrote Tuesday, his second in a week, in which he sought to address critics who said that the new rules would allow companies to co-opt the openness of the Internet.

He also justified the FCC's actions, pointing to the need for regulation that the commission could enforce quickly and legally.

"I am concerned that acting in a manner that ignores the ... court’s guidance, or opening an entirely new approach, invites delay that could tack on multiple more years before there are Open Internet rules in place," Wheeler wrote.

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Topics: FCC, net neutrality, Tech, U.S.