FCC Poised to Bring Back Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote on restoring net neutrality, a move with wide-ranging industry support.

Net neutrality is legislation aimed at ensuring a level playing field on the internet. For example, without net neutrality, a company like AT&T could charge Netflix more for traffic going to the streaming service’s site while simultaneously giving its own HBO Max service a pass. Proponents of net neutrality have long argued that such legislation is important to ensure that small companies are not unfairly squeezed out of the market.

Despite passing under the Obama administration, the Trump administration successfully repealed net neutrality, despite efforts to bring it back. With the FCC under Democratic control, the agency is once again planning to implement the legislation. The FCC will take up the matter in its April Open Meeting.

“The pandemic proved once and for all that broadband is essential,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “After the prior administration abdicated authority over broadband services, the FCC has been handcuffed from acting to fully secure broadband networks, protect consumer data, and ensure the internet remains fast, open, and fair. A return to the FCC’s overwhelmingly popular and court-approved standard of net neutrality will allow the agency to serve once again as a strong consumer advocate of an open internet.”

It’s a sure bet ISPs and other opponents won’t go down without a fight, if history is any indication. For example, during the 2017 push for net neutrality, ISPs spent some $8.2 million to generate millions of fake comments in opposition to the legislation. In fact, 18 million of the 22 million comments were fake.