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December 2017

Here’s why critics are slamming the GOP’s net neutrality bill

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced that she introduced the “Open Internet Preservation Act,” which she claims would “ensure there is no blocking” and “no throttling,” of internet traffic. However, critics fear that Blackburn’s bill would only enhance some of the fears internet activists have had before and after the Federal Communications Commission voted, along party lines, to dismantle the 2015 Open Internet Order, essentially killing net neutrality rules.

Net neutrality vote will require users to 'pay to play'

[Commentary] With a 3-2 vote, the Federal Communications Commission overturned a long tradition — one that had only culminated in 2015 in the formalizing of the principle of net neutrality, but that had been honored long before open internet rules became official. The old rules were easy for service providers to follow and their repeal creates incentives to slow down net services to extract premium prices.

Without Net Neutrality, We Can’t Trust Comcast to Do What’s Right

[Commentary] We can’t trust that Comcast will protect our right to communicate without rules forcing them to do just that. So we’re back from Washington and ready to fight to keep the internet open for the poorest big city in America and beyond. Local communities have a big role to play. First, Congressional leaders have already moved to fully undo the horrible vote Ajit Pai’s Federal Communications Commission took on the 14th, with something called the Congressional Review Act.

KentuckyWired’s fiber buildout delays spark downgrade by Moody’s

Bonds related to KentuckyWired’s plans to build a fiber network in Kentucky via a public-private partnership received a downgrade—from stable to negative—from Moody's Investors Service.

United Nations freedom of speech expert concerned about net neutrality

The United Nation’s freedom of speech expert said he was concerned about the ramifications of a decision in the United States to roll back net neutrality, since it could lead to small and independent voices being drowned out on the web.  David Kaye, an American law professor and the UN Human Rights Council’s independent expert on freedom of expression, said net neutrality, the idea that all internet traffic should be treated the same regardless of content, was essential.

FCC Proposes to Fine Sinclair Broadcast Group Over $13 Million for Violations of Sponsorship ID Rules

The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $13,376,200 fine against Sinclair Broadcast Group for apparently failing to make required disclosures in connection with programming sponsored by a third party. The programming was broadcast more than 1,700 times, either as stories resembling independently generated news coverage that aired during the local news, or as longer-form stories aired as 30- minute television programs. This is the largest fine that the Commission has ever proposed for a violation of its sponsorship identification rules.

Sponsor 

Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee

Federal Communications Commission

Date 
Tue, 01/23/2018 - 15:00 to Wed, 01/24/2018 - 22:00

At this meeting, the BDAC will consider recommendations from its Model Code for Municipalities, Model Code for States, Competitive Access to Broadband Infrastructure, Removing State and Local Regulatory Barriers, and Streamlining Federal Siting Working Groups. In addition, the BDAC will continue its discussions on how to accelerate the deployment of broadband by reducing and/or removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment. 


Related Headlines 
Remarks of FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at the Fourth Meeting of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee
Remarks of Chairman Pai at Fourth Meeting of Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee

Germany ensures net neutrality

The Bundesnetzagentur prohibited certain aspects of the "StreamOn" add-on option offered by Telekom Deutschland GmbH (Telekom) with its "MagentaMobil" mobile tariff. The decision ensures that the provisions of the European Regulation on roaming and net neutrality are being complied with. "Telekom can continue to offer StreamOn. But in the interest of consumers, adjustments have to be made to the arrangement," explained Jochen Homann, Bundesnetzagentur President.

December 18-22, 2017
Weekly Digest

Disney to Buy Fox. Was The Repeal of Net Neutrality A Factor?

Robbie McBeath
McBeath

 

You’re reading the Benton Foundation’s Weekly Round-up, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) telecommunications stories of the week. The round-up is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of December 18-22, 2017

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