FCC to Propose Strong ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules

[Victorious Secret]

 

Tom Wheeler, head of the F.C.C., is expected to call for reclassifying high-speed Internet as a telecommunications service. 

Agency Would Regulate Broadband Providers Tightly Like Telecommunications Firms

 

 

Those who wanted Title II reclassification, eat your hearts out. Looks like the FCC and Wheeler are going to go ahead after all and exercise their power to reclassify. "FCC using their ban hammer" could be the title of this, because thats basically what the FCC is about to do. 

 

The best part? This:
 

Mr. Wheeler is expected to circulate his proposal on Thursday, with a vote scheduled for the FCC’s Feb. 26 open meeting. A majority of the FCC’s five commissioners must approve the rules for them to take effect.

 

 

Oh yes, he's starting it soon. Now, passing with a majority might be difficult given how hard these guys will lobby against it, but its promising to see it happen all the same. 

 

The Federal Communications Commission is about to fundamentally change the way it oversees high-speed Internet service, proposing to regulate it as a public utility. 

Chairman Tom Wheeler is reaching for a significant expansion of the agency’s authority to regulate broadband providers, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

 

The move would fully embrace the principle known as net neutrality, and if enacted, would bring a new definition to the economics of the Internet industry: Rather than regulating broadband firms lightly, as has been its practice so far, the FCC would treat them like telecommunications companies and subject them to more intrusive regulation, especially in areas relating to how they manage traffic on their networks.

 

The proposal, expected to be unveiled by the FCC on Thursday, is a victory for a host of Silicon Valley firms and liberal activists who have championed it. Many of these companies lobbied the White House seeking such an outcome, and were rewarded in November when President Barack Obama announced his support for “the strongest possible” rules for net neutrality, the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally.

 

Mr. Obama’s statement came after a widespread backlash against a proposal from Mr. Wheeler over the summer, and following numerous meetings with startups, investors and activists. By October, the White House was convinced that regulating providers as utilities was the only way to ensure net neutrality, while Mr. Wheeler pushed an alternative “hybrid” approach that net neutrality supporters criticized as overly complex. The president’s statement effectively forced Mr. Wheeler to follow his preferred approach, or risk being labeled the former cable and wireless lobbyist who sold out the Internet.

 

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/fcc-to-propose-strong-net-neutrality-rules-1422911055

[Polyvalent]

[Guest Kloaked]

[wyattzx]

 

The drama over Net Neutrality is exhausting, but it is a very serious matter. So this will be very exciting to watch unfold. Here's hoping for the best, folks!

 

Edit: Holy shit, this is getting intense. I can feel the absolute anger eminating from the FCC. Having such an important... "soldier" in the war, and on our side.. It feels so good. They're so pissed. It's awesome!

[Ashley]

The cable industry right now.

 

[TheKDub]

Could someone quickly sum up what exactly net neutrality is and if it is good or bad for me? (I've not paid much attention to it)

[Gilbert]

The cable industry right now.

 

*coughs* comcast and time warner mainly *coughs*

[Gilbert]

Could someone quickly sum up what exactly net neutrality is and if it is good or bad for me? (I've not paid much attention to it)

it means that the companies can't look into yo stuff at all and slow down your internet based on what websites you're trying to access.

[TheKDub]

it means that the companies can't look into yo stuff at all and slow down your internet based on what websites you're trying to access.

Ah, Well then this is good news.

 

Now if only it also made it so ISPs had to give you internet for a reasonable price instead of this craziness of like $70 a month for 30mb/s where people in other places are getting gigabit for cheaper..

[wyattzx]

Could someone quickly sum up what exactly net neutrality is and if it is good or bad for me? (I've not paid much attention to it)

Internet providers want make website owners (and potentially customers) pay to have speed to their website increased. (And thereby slow it down otherwise.)

Comcast slowed down Netflix for all Comcast customers, to the point it was unwatchable. They demanded money, and Netflix paid up. 

ISPs could then charge for plans that include "100% fastest access to all your favorite sites" and such at an extra cost. 

 

Net neutrality says you can't do that. All websites should be treated equally.

[Syntaxvgm]

THE GOVERNMENT IS GETTING SOMETHING RIGHT? 

[Keudn]

Why is it everytime i see a good article to post news about i get beat by about 15 minutes D:< but anyway YES FUCK YES

[CatCloud]

Somewhat unreadable in the dark theme.

[wyattzx]

I'm waiting for this to show up on the WAN show, and hear Linus read that this was originally posted by "Victorious Secret." Then read the Twitch chat that follows suit. 

[ForsakenLive]

Please Wheeler don't get killed before the 26th

[Victorious Secret]

I'm waiting for this to show up on the WAN show, and hear Linus read that this was originally posted by "Victorious Secret." Then read the Twitch chat that follows suit.

Why? What happens in the Twitch chat?

[Victorious Secret]

Please Wheeler don't get killed before the 26th

Wheeler just needs to pray that 2 other FCC members vote with him otherwise it's all for nothing. Even Obama couldn't ram this through and force Title II reclassification.

These guys are going to be lobbying harder than ever, so as logical as it is to us it is very much up in the air.

[wyattzx]

Why? What happens in the Twitch chat?

Just waiting for jokes about Linus, Luke, and Victoria's Secret or something.

[Victorious Secret]

Ah, Well then this is good news.

Now if only it also made it so ISPs had to give you internet for a reasonable price instead of this craziness of like $70 a month for 30mb/s where people in other places are getting gigabit for cheaper..

Google fibre should help bring prices down but what will really do it is municipalities that start running their own networks just like they might run their own utilities.

Our city actually OWNED the power lines that fed the city itself, so if cities do it right it can be very lucrative and still cheap for citizens.

[KungPaoChino]

Just shove some money up their asses and you bet these people will vote along with Wheeler.

[zacRupnow]

Never again!

[McMurderMonkey]

WOOHOO! Great to see someone up there on our side.

[Victorious Secret]

WOOHOO! Great to see someone up there on our side.

 

Wheeler still needs a majority vote which is where it could fall apart. The ISPs will be spending big bucks to prevent this from happening. 

Its a shame the POTUS has no real power to push stuff like this through, cause sometimes that power would be really handy.

[mr moose]

Wheeler just needs to pray that 2 other FCC members vote with him otherwise it's all for nothing. Even Obama couldn't ram this through and force Title II reclassification.

These guys are going to be lobbying harder than ever, so as logical as it is to us it is very much up in the air.

 

The thing that really confuses me is why there is lobbying at all?  It is as clear as day to anyone with an ounce of intelligence that in this day and age the internet is an essential tool for economic/social functioning. This is at a private, domestic and commercial level,   It is easily as important (if not more) as the mail service and telephone.  The mere suggestion that it should be treated differently should raise the hackles of everyone from citizens through human rights groups to government, yet it seems some people are either O.K or don't care.   I bet there would be a larger outcry if the government said they where going to apply the same monopolistic/deregulation rules to power, gas and water.

[NateGSR117]

Yeeeaaaaa!!!!! Hopefully congress (manly the Republicans) can Keep their hands off the FCC long enough for them to finish what they need to be doing. In swear if congress F**** this up I will raise hell through the post office.