Today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reestablished its authority to protect consumers and safeguard the fair and open Internet by classifying broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service and classifying mobile broadband Internet access service as a commercial mobile service; exercising broad and tailored forbearance; and reinstating straightforward, clear rules to ensure Internet openness. The following statement may be attributed to Benton Senior Counselor Andrew Jay Schwartzman:

Today’s vote provides welcome, if long overdue, protections for all Americans.  Despite a few shortcomings, this is the most important thing the FCC can do to promote free speech, competition, public safety, and national security.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society would have preferred that the Commission continued the debate on whether or not broadband providers should contribute to the Universal Service Fund and that it had taken a more proactive stance toward wireless companies’ efforts to create loopholes to avoid regulation of some 5G services.  But those shortcomings do not change the fact that today is a great day for internet freedom.

Understandably, much discussion about today’s action stresses the importance of banning blocking and throttling and limiting paid prioritization of internet content.  But these issues are just the foundation of many more aspects of the new rules that are at least as important for broadband subscribers. Here are a few examples:

• Free speech: ISPs can no longer block content they don’t like.
• Competition: ISPs will have to provide the same service to innovative new content providers as they give to the largest companies.
• Public safety: The FCC will now be able to collect data on service outages and provide support for first responders when ISPs ignore their needs during emergencies.
• National security: The FCC will be able to protect Americans from broadband providers controlled by hostile nations.

The bottom line is that Americans rely on internet access too much for there to be no public interest requirements on and appropriate oversight of service providers. The FCC’s action today means the most powerful and pervasive platform in the history of the world will remain open to freely exchange ideas without undue commercial influence.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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