Still No Time For Party Hats -- The Net Neutrality Vote In The FCC Commissioners' Own Words

[Commentary] We’re probably not the first to tell you that on May 15, the Federal Communications Commission voted to launch a rulemaking seeking public comment on how best to protect and promote an open Internet. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) starts with a fundamental question: “What is the right public policy to ensure that the Internet remains open?” – That is, open to new content, new products and new services, enabling consumers to choose whatever legal content, services and applications they desire. Although you never hear anyone publicly say ‘I’m against an open Internet’ or 'I’m for a closed Internet’, there is a great deal of debate about the FCC’s role in ensuring an open Internet and the methods it uses to do so. Ultimately, the public should and, we believe, will determine the FCC’s course of action. The NPRM adopted May 15 is the starting point for the public’s official chance to tell the five FCC commissioners what to do. So this week, we look at how FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Jessica Rosenworcel, Ajit Pai, and Michael O’Rielly justified their votes on Thursday.