The new political calculus on net neutrality

[Commentary] The window of opportunity for negotiating a legislative compromise on reasonable network neutrality protections is 2017. The 2015 assumptions supporting the old political calculus all collapsed with the election outcome. If supporters believe net neutrality is an enduring principle and protection worthy of being put into law, and not just politics, then a reasonable bipartisan compromise should be possible.

A critical point here that many are missing is that the old net neutrality political calculus was not about net neutrality itself. It was about the FCC asserting and gaining court deference so it could de facto legislate Internet policy over time via unbounded, sweeping, regulatory authority. In short, the election completely upended the old net neutrality political calculus. Net neutrality supporters would be wise to take the proverbial bird in hand of a legislative compromise now, rather than betting they can grasp for the two birds in the bush whenever they want. Time will tell if enough Senate Democrats consider net neutrality a substantive policy worth preserving.

[Scott Cleland is President of Precursor LLC chairman of NetCompetition, a pro-competition e-forum supported by broadband interests.]