FCC Chairman Genachowski: Dec. 21 Net Neutrality Vote "Essential"

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said that it is "essential that we move forward next week to adopt the first enforceable rules of the road to protect Internet freedom."

Talking about "seizing the opportunities" of broadband, the chairman said one way to do that is to "reserve the freedom and openness of the Internet." He said his order was essential to protecting free speech and creating jobs. "That's why the FCC is moving to preserve the open Internet," he told his audience, though many of the regulations won't be applied to mobile broadband, according to the initial draft of the order. Chairman Genachowski said he had "broad support" for the effort, including from carriers. But that support is more for what the item is not, which is a Title II reclassification those carriers called a "nuclear option." Carrier support for the network neutrality regulations under Title I has come with the caveat that it is unnecessary and no regulations would be preferable.