Did the FCC Chairman Just Endorse a Pay-for-Play Internet Fast Lane?

[Commentary] New Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler delivered his first formal public address. In a Q&A session following the speech, he appeared to endorse the opposite of network neutrality: allowing Internet service providers (ISPs) to charge websites and services in order to reach that ISP’s subscribers. In other words, giving ISPs the power to pick winners and losers online.

This endorsement was all the more unexpected because it followed his explicit endorsement of "net neutrality" and a speech that touted the FCC's role in protecting the public interest. What is going on here? It is time for Chairman Wheeler to clarify his position. He claims to support an open Internet -- but what does that mean to him? If his “open Internet” allows ISPs to charge websites and services to access subscribers, he may need to find another term. Why shouldn’t we be worried about ISPs charging websites and services in order to make those sites and services work correctly? If we should be concerned, what is the FCC doing to prevent such a market from developing? And regardless of the answers to those questions, when is the FCC going to start doing the observing that is so important to decision-making? When will it start asking questions about data caps and other practices that influence key regulatory decisions? These are important questions that need to be answered soon. If Chairman Wheeler’s version of net neutrality is different from everyone else’s version of net neutrality, we need to know that sooner rather than later.