News: USA: FCC passes Net Neutrality 3-2

JGibson

Net Neutrality is now the law of the land in the USA!!!!

Timothy B. Lee at Vox:

Quote:

Network neutrality is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all internet traffic equally. It says your ISP shouldn’t be allowed to block or degrade access to certain websites or services, nor should it be allowed to set aside a "fast lane" that allows content favored by the ISP to load more quickly than the rest.

The rules the FCC approved on Thursday were stronger than the ones Wheeler originally proposed last May. That proposal had attempted to protect network neutrality while staying within the bounds of a 2014 ruling that had invalidated the FCC's previous network neutrality rules. Critics argued that Wheeler's initial proposed rules were too weak, leaving a big loophole that would allow broadband providers to engage in exactly the kind of discriminatory behavior that network neutrality rules are supposed to prevent.

Network neutrality advocates wanted to regulate broadband providers as public utilities, a step known to insiders as "reclassification." This move would give the agency broader authority to establish network neutrality rules. The activists mounted a successful lobbying campaign, submitting millions of comments to the agency urging a stronger stance. They gained an important ally in November when President Barack Obama endorsed reclassification.

Four bullet points from the same Vox article:

Quote:

The Federal Communications Commission has approved its strongest network neutrality rules yet.
Three Democrats, including chairman Tom Wheeler, voted for the rules. The two Republicans dissented.
The new rules reclassify internet access so it will be regulated like a public utility.
The rules apply to both home broadband connections and the wireless networks that power smartphones.

My Tumblr (Justin's Political Corner):

Quote:

Good day in America!

#NetNeutrality wins!

Haunter

Slay.

konaa

Artemisia

clock THEM FCC

StephenNYMonster

What is this about?

Skywalker

Grumpy Gills

I hope this means they stop slowing down people's internet

Hugamari

Yey!

Can't_M!ss_This

Leave it to the Republicans to vote for big business.

Glad this passed

Chucko

The ignorance of people thinking this is a good thing.

Not a single one of you knows what is in the 332-page order, or the broadband company’s not even congress knows.

alexanderao

Excellent.

Retro

Quote:

Originally posted by Chucko

The ignorance of people thinking this is a good thing.

Not a single one of you knows what is in the 332-page order, or the broadband company’s not even congress knows.

It's pretty easy to get swept up in the "Free and Open Internet" slogans running around.

I agree that a lot of people don't really know what they're applauding here. Personally, as both a Democrat and a business student, I'm incredibly torn on the issue.

The overarching idea sounds good, but is the method of execution - or indeed the execution at all - a wise decision? What does this all really mean as far as government regulation, and as far as business principles?

I don't have any answers, but I sure want to find them given that this is going to be incredibly relevant to my personal life and my career path.