A planned rollback of Obama-era federal net neutrality protections passed by the Federal Communications Commission in December took a step forward this week, when the plan was published in the Federal Register, an official government publication.
That started a 60-day countdown to the elimination of the protections. And it opened the door to legal challenges by consumer groups, state attorneys general, and others.
If the plan does go into effect, internet service providers (ISPs)—companies such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon that provide consumer broadband service—will be allowed to slow down and possibly block some websites and online services. They'd also be able to charge companies for faster content delivery in so-called "paid prioritization" deals. The net neutrality rules that barred such actions sought to ensure that all internet traffic to consumers was treated equally.
Consumers Union, the advocacy division of Consumer Reports, opposes the rollback.
"Repealing the net neutrality rules will give internet service providers more power and control over the websites we can visit, and it would make it harder for small businesses and innovators to compete online," says Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel for Consumers Union. "This move would likely lead to consumers paying higher prices for the internet access and speeds they have today."
The Internet & Television Association, a cable-industry trade association, says that the FCC plan removes unnecessary regulation.
"The broadband industry has embraced and fostered the development of an open internet where companies do not block, throttle or otherwise interfere with the customer's desire to go wherever they want on the internet," says a policy statement published on the group's website.
The FCC plan includes a provision barring state and local governments from enacting any net neutrality laws or rules on their own. However, states have already so far ignored that, signing executive orders and considering bills to address the issue.
The state governments "are doing what the FCC chose not to do — listening to consumers who overwhelmingly support net neutrality rules — and sending a strong message to internet service providers looking to do business in their states," says Schwantes.
