FCC chairman Tom Wheeler will be presenting proposed rules to the commission this week that will address the question of Net Neutrality, which has been a topic of discussion since a court ruling in January 2014. The move will seek to reclassify the Internet as an open platform.
Wheeler published his statement on Wired, stating that the rules will label the Internet as a utility and prevent throttling and paid prioritization of traffic. These rules will also apply to mobile broadband, a new move for the FCC.
Wheeler calls these rules the most aggressive protections the commission has ever put in place for protection of a level playing field on the Internet. A vote is likely to take place at the FCC’s February 26 meeting.
“The internet must be fast, fair and open,” Wheeler writes. “That is the message I’ve heard from consumers and innovators across this nation. That is the principle that has enabled the internet to become an unprecedented platform for innovation and human expression.”
[Source: Wired]
Our Take
This is great news for anyone who uses the Internet as a source of education. It means that broadband providers cannot apply pressure to even the largest businesses that deliver content via the net.
Pragmatically, end users shouldn’t expect financial relief at the bottom line. Instead of paying Netflix to compensate for fast-lane fees paid to broadband providers, for instance, the providers themselves may choose to levy additional fees in the name of infrastructure advancement and maintenance.