The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today it has voted to restore net neutrality in a vote of 3-2.
As a result of the vote, the agency has now been authorized to reclassify internet service providers (ISPs) as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. The proposal is almost identical to the original proposal for net neutrality, although the new rules would also provide the agency the ability to block authorization of websites controlled by foreign adversaries. The timing is pretty impeccable, as Biden signed a foreign aid package yesterday that bundled a bill to ban the video-sharing app TikTok.
The agency revealed during today's meeting that it was not, however, planning to regulate pricing.
"We need broadband to reach 100 percent of us — and we need it fast, open, and fair," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in a post highlighting the new neutrality protections.
The announcement shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Last September, Rosenworcel announced in a speech that a proposal was being submitted to restore the rules, with an initial vote to take place that following month.
Net neutrality was a list of regulations enacted in 2015 during the Obama administration. The rules forbid ISPs such as Comcast and Verizon from doing things such as blocking or slowing down websites. However, it officially ended in April 2018 during the Trump Presidency after FCC chair Ajit Pai led a charge to repeal net neutrality rules.
Today's meeting and Rosenworcel's previous announcement when the proposal was submitted last year echo similar reasons the FCC opted to adopt these rules during the Obama era. Rosenworcel specifically cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a reminder of the importance of Net Neutrality rules.
"Four years ago, the pandemic changed life as we know it," Rosenworcel said at today's agency meeting. "We were told to stay home, hunker down and live online. So much of work, school, and healthcare migrated to the internet. If we wanted to engage with the world, we needed to do it all through a broadband connection.
Blogroll Credit: Artemis Diana / Getty Images
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Continue reading...
As a result of the vote, the agency has now been authorized to reclassify internet service providers (ISPs) as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. The proposal is almost identical to the original proposal for net neutrality, although the new rules would also provide the agency the ability to block authorization of websites controlled by foreign adversaries. The timing is pretty impeccable, as Biden signed a foreign aid package yesterday that bundled a bill to ban the video-sharing app TikTok.
The agency revealed during today's meeting that it was not, however, planning to regulate pricing.
"We need broadband to reach 100 percent of us — and we need it fast, open, and fair," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in a post highlighting the new neutrality protections.
The announcement shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Last September, Rosenworcel announced in a speech that a proposal was being submitted to restore the rules, with an initial vote to take place that following month.
Net neutrality was a list of regulations enacted in 2015 during the Obama administration. The rules forbid ISPs such as Comcast and Verizon from doing things such as blocking or slowing down websites. However, it officially ended in April 2018 during the Trump Presidency after FCC chair Ajit Pai led a charge to repeal net neutrality rules.
Today's meeting and Rosenworcel's previous announcement when the proposal was submitted last year echo similar reasons the FCC opted to adopt these rules during the Obama era. Rosenworcel specifically cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a reminder of the importance of Net Neutrality rules.
"Four years ago, the pandemic changed life as we know it," Rosenworcel said at today's agency meeting. "We were told to stay home, hunker down and live online. So much of work, school, and healthcare migrated to the internet. If we wanted to engage with the world, we needed to do it all through a broadband connection.
Blogroll Credit: Artemis Diana / Getty Images
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Continue reading...