FCC Clarifies the Fast Lane Prohibition

The Federal Communications Commission made some changes to the recent Net Neutrality Order between the version that got approved on April 25 and the final version that was released to the Congressional record. One of the most interesting changes was to clarify rules pertaining to carriers creating fast lanes. The original order included language that prohibited paid prioritization, which is generically referred to as fast lanes. The original rules largely prohibited internet service providers from slowing Internet traffic for some customers but not others, which is the same language that was included in the original net neutrality order first passed by the FCC in 2015. The final FCC rules prohibit fast lanes where some customers selectively get a better broadband connection than somebody else, even if the faster connection is made at no charge.