FCC Advances Proposal to Erode Net Neutrality

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Protesters outside the FCC building on Thursday.

Image: Jason Abbruzzese, Mashable

By Jason Abbruzzese2014-05-15 15:49:22 UTC

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday pushed forward its much-anticipated proposal that will dictate how broadband providers can treat Internet traffic, a crucial piece of regulation that has drawn the attention of the country's biggest broadband providers, the world's largest Internet companies and and a wide range of politicians including President Barack Obama.

The proposal passed in a 3-2 vote along party lines. The proposal includes two primary options. The first option, a scaled-back version of the FCC's 2010 rules that were struck down by a federal appeals court, would allow companies to strike pay-for-preference deals that are scrutinized by the FCC. The second, more dramatic option would reclassify broadband service as a public utility, making it eligible for stricter regulation including a ban on pay-for-preference deals.

See also: FCC and Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know Before Today's Big Meeting

The proposal now goes through a comment period in which the FCC listens to everyone from industry advocates and lobbyists to think tanks and politicians. The FCC then writes a final set of rules that are voted on. That is not expected to happen until late in the year.

Outside the FCC, protestors banged drums, chanted and held signs calling for net neutrality — rules that would force ISPs to treat all Internet traffic equally.

The rules stirred controversy when details of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's initial proposal leaked. The proposal reportedly included a provision allowing companies to strike pay-for-preference deals that the commission would monitor.

The news caused an uproar in the media and among net neutrality advocates who worried that the new proposal was the first step to an Internet of slow and fast lanes.

The initial debate shifted rapidly when Wheeler responded, saying that he had revised the initial draft and would consider reclassifying broadband, a move that would please net neutrality advocates.

The FCC's new proposal is the result of a January ruling by the Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals that agreed with Verizon, which claimed the FCC did not have the authority to force ISPs to treat all Internet traffic equally.

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Topics: Business, net neutrality, U.S., World