Not everyone wants stronger net neutrality rules. Here's why.

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Not everyone thinks this stronger network neutrality rules and broadband reclassification are a good idea. Incumbent telecom companies, free-market advocates, and a number of members of Congress have all urged the Federal Communications Commission to retain the low-regulation "information service" category.

Here are the three biggest problems that, opponents claim, could be created by reclassification.

Gus Hurwitz, a legal scholar at the University of Nebraska College of Law, says that reclassifying could give the FCC the power to regulate broadband prices, connection and disconnection of service, and interconnection with other Internet companies.

Reclassification opponents say broadband providers will be less willing to open their wallets when there's a lot of uncertainty about when and how they'll be allowed to profit from their networks.

Also, if the FCC reclassifies, that decision is almost certain to trigger a lawsuit.

"If we do see reclassification, we're probably looking at another 2 to 4 years of just litigating questions of the commission's basic authority," Hurwitz says.

And politically, there are two ways opponents of reclassification could make life difficult for Chairman Tom Wheeler if he reclassifies. First, members of Congress can haul Chairman Wheeler before Congress to grill him about his policies. And second, telecom companies could mount more legal challenges to FCC decisions, forcing the agency to spend more time defending itself in court, leaving it with less time to pursue other initiatives.


Not everyone wants stronger net neutrality rules. Here's why.