Republicans’ Latest Plan to Undermine FCC On Consumer Protection

[Commentary] On tomorrow’s episode of Attempts to Undermine the Efficacy of the Federal Communications Commission, the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee will mark up HR 2666, the so called “No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act”. Ostensibly, the one-paragraph bill seems straightforward, prohibiting the FCC from “rate regulation,” or regulating “the rates charged for broadband Internet access service,” as defined by the Commission’s 2015 Open Internet Order. But in fact, the inclusion of the sweeping phrase “without regard to any other provision of law,” combined with copious remarks from last month’s hearing, suggest that the bill is simply another effort to gut the FCC’s ability to enforce network neutrality and protect broadband subscribers from overcharges and carrier abuse.

Flatly, there are a number of suspicious things about this bill. It’s moving aggressively quickly. It’s apparently a continuance of the strategy launched by FCC Commissioner Aji Pai and others at the outset of 2015. And frankly, many people trying to move the item forward don’t seem to be genuinely interested in negotiating a compromise. But if we’re realistic, it’s probably what it looks like: an attempt by certain people who opposed Title II reclassification of broadband Internet access to circumvent the Open Internet Order because this time, Comcast and other big Internet service providers, who seem to be so persuasive over there, just didn’t get what they want.