After net neutrality vote, an uncertain future for the Internet

[Commentary] Uncertainty -- of what the Federal Communications Commission intends to do, of how the courts will view their efforts, and how private investors in broadband infrastructure will respond -- is now the order of the day. That is both a significant and unfortunate course change. For most of the Internet era, tech policy has been a bright spot in Washington (DC). Not only has it been a rare example of bipartisanship, but also of regulatory wisdom.

The governance of the Internet, for the most part, was left to the engineers who invented it, rather than to the whims of lawmakers and regulators. It’s entirely possible that Feb 26’s historic vote will end up a historic footnote. The legacy of the Title II order, in fact, may be little more than a period of costly and unnecessary uncertainty. In the meantime, there’s still both time and hope for a return to the bipartisan policy that has made the Internet the greatest generator of innovation since the Industrial Revolution. And if not a political solution, there’s always a chance at a technical one. The Internet has a long history of innovating around rules and regulations that slow it down, whether those rules were designed with the best of intentions, or otherwise.

[Larry Downes is project director at the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy]