On a three-to-two vote today, the Federal Communication Commissions [FCC], led by 44-year-old Chairman Ajit Pai, reversed former President Barack Obama’s 2015 net neutrality rules, forcing broadband companies to guarantee open access to content on the World Wide Web. When the FCC voted in net neutrality in 2015 it was supposed to protect against telecommunication and Internet companies filtering content to their subscribers. Net neutrality protected consumers against arbitrary-and-capricious censorship or charging, leaving all data unfiltered by Telecoms and Internet Service Proviers [ISPs]. Ending net neutrality was a victory for Intenet-based companies like AT&T, Comcast Corp. and Verizon. Google’s parent company Alphabet, Inc., Disney, and Facebook lobbied in 2015 for net neutrality from ISPs blocking or charging for more for content not otherwise available
New York Atty. Gen Eric Schneiderman said he will lead states-attorneys-generals in a lawsuit to challenge the ruling, despite the fact the FCC legally decided to end net neutrality in an open vote. Schneiderman contends that ISPs will once again begin censoring content or forcing consumers to pay for certain programming otherwise available under net neutrality rules. Former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said that ending net neutrality would be “handing the keys to the Internet to a “handful of multibillion dollar corporations,” opposing today’s FCC ruling. Arguing for reversing Obama’s net neutrality rules, Pai said that net neutrality placed unnecessary restrictions on free markets, capable of policing access to Internet content. Trump administration officials didn’t like net neutrality legislating what ISPs could do with content delivered to consumers.
Knowing today’s atmosphere of unrestricted Internet access, it’s doubtful ISPs would restrict access to open data without facing legal challenges. ”The Internet wasn’t broken in 2016. We weren’t living in a digital dystopia. To the contrary, the Internet is perhaps the one thing in American society we ca all agree has been a stunning success,” Pai told reporters. Consumers aren’t likely to see changes anytime soon. Whether or not new start-up companies get charged more by ISPs for their content is anyone’s guess. Dissenting FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said ending net neutrality gives ISPs ‘extraordinary new power” without FCC regulations. Rosenworcel believes ISPs under Pai’s new ruling will take full advantage. “They have the technical ability and business incentive to discriminate and manipulate your Internet traffic. And now this agency gives them the legal green light to go ahead.”
Net neutrality was intended to level the playing field with broadband providers, preventing them from blocking-or-pushing their own content. Pai wants ISPs to openly disclose when they’re restricting access to data. Whether or not that ever happens is anyone’s guess. Pai mirrors the deregulation bent of the Trump administration, allowing free markets to determine access and set prices. Former FCC Chairman Michael Powell said ending net neutrality would change the current marketplace for broadband suppliers. “They made a lot of money on an open Internet,” said Powell, refuting backers of net neutrality rules. Powell thinks an open Internet is “much more profitable” than with net neutrality rules. “This is not a pledge of good heartedness, it’s a pledge in the shareholders interest,” Powell said, insisting unrestricted Internet access is more profitable for companies.
Net neutrality advocates worry that broadband suppliers will try to block access to content, charging more and taking advantage whenever possible. If Powell’s correct, there are profitable reasons to open Internet access, provided under less regulation. Powell thinks broadband providers will provide more content to consumers knowing there’s an open market-place, not restrict content as argued by net neutrality advocates. Open access without net neutrality rules will encourage broadband companies to make the kind of investments necessary to get more content into less populated areas. “Renewed confidence to make the investments required to strengthen the nation’s networks and close the digital divide, especially in rural communities,” said USTelecom lobby group CEO Jonathan Spalter. Spalter sees only good things for the broadband industry ending net neutrality.
Deregulating the Internet, ending net neutrality, comes with certain risks but FCC Chairman Pai sees only good things for the broadband industry. While there’s a chance that some content providers may try to restrict data, there’s too much negative publicity to make it viable now. While it’s true 80% of respondents on a University of Maryland poll say they favored net neutrality, proponents oversold their case. Most consumers will see no differences when it comes to broadband content under today’s deregulation. New Internet start-ups worry that broadband companies could block access or charge more for their services. Without net neutrality, broadband companies know that all eyes are watching whether or not they make data available fairly to all, without taking advantage by restricting access or charging more. If cherry-picking or price-gouging occurs, net neutrality could come back.
