FCC needs to step up regulation of Internet broadband service

[Commentary] A battle is about to erupt between federal regulators and telecom companies, and nothing less than the future of the Internet could be on the line. At issue is a seemingly benign question: Is the Net an information service or a telecommunication service? As it stands, high-speed Internet service is classified by the Federal Communications Commission as a "Title I" information service in the same way that Google is an information service. This means broadband providers such as phone and cable companies are only lightly regulated by the agency. By reclassifying broadband as a "Title II" telecom service -- like, say, phone service -- the FCC would be able to more closely oversee providers' actions and pricing, and would be better positioned to implement its recently announced 10-year plan to bring high-speed Net access to virtually every U.S. home. I know: This is wonky stuff. But the stakes couldn't be higher, especially at a time when broadband Internet service is playing an increasingly vital role in a wide variety of areas, including entertainment, education and healthcare. "This could determine whether the FCC really has the power to act on its broadband plan," said Ben Scott, policy director with Free Press, a communications advocacy group. "It will define who really runs the Net."