Regulatory classification

Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) filed the Open Internet Preservation Act to protect consumers by preventing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from slowing down and controlling web content.  The legislation also creates transparency by requiring ISPs to make public their terms of service.  The House companion of this bill was introduced in 2017 by House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

[Commentary] In the course of its deliberations on the future of Internet openness, the Federal Communications Commission logged about half a million comments sent from Russian e-mail addresses. It received nearly 8 million comments from e-mail domains associated with FakeMailGenerator.com with almost identical wording. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated case.

The House Communications Subcommittee held a hearing continuing its oversight role of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) spoke to the need to maintain America’s status as a global leader in wireless technologies. In his opening remarks, full Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) stressed the importance of accurate broadband mapping in efforts to expand broadband internet access. David Redl, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, NTIA, U.S.

For all the fire and fury over network neutrality, the debate is increasingly irrelevant. No matter how it is resolved—if it is ever resolved—it will have little real-world impact. Because while we are mired in an intractable squabble, technology and the issues we must face are swiftly moving on. Net neutrality policy does not remotely address the issues companies and consumers are facing today and likely will face in the future.

The Washington state network neutrality law marks the beginning of what analysts say could soon become a massive headache for Internet service providers (ISPs): a jumbled mix of state and federal rules that may be looser in some places and tougher in others. “One of the fears of Internet service providers is a patchwork of different state regulations,” said Jeff Kagan, an independent telecom analyst. “It’s much easier to manage and work from one national set.”

Washington became the first state in the country to pass its own network neutrality law in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission's repeal of the popular Obama-era rules. Gov Jay Inslee (D-WA) signed a bill forbidding internet service providers from blocking or throttling web content, or from charging websites for higher delivery speeds. During a ceremony for the bill signing, he called the legislation a "free speech bill." “All Washingtonians should enjoy equal and unfettered access to the educational, social and economic power of the internet,” Gov Inslee said.

Six technology companies including Kickstarter, Foursquare and Etsy have launched a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission in an effort to preserve network neutrality rules. The companies, which also include Shutterstock, Expa and Automattic, filed their petition with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The suit is being filed on behalf of the companies that are part of the Coalition for Internet Openness, which is an organization committed to preserving the openness, speed and accessibility of the internet for all Americans.

[Commentary] The big Internet service provider gate-keepers may have bought the silence of Congress, but they cannot buy the silence of the people. We know there is overwhelming popular support for an open internet with strong net neutrality rules.  But we have to demonstrate this support and the power behind it.  We must make our voices heard.  Contacting Congress now on the CRA is vital—your Senators, of course, but your House members, too.  Tell them your vote in the next election depends on their vote now to restore net neutrality. 

Is AT&T carving out lanes on the internet and offering the speediest service to the highest bidder, while leaving all other internet traffic relegated to "slow lanes"? Not exactly. AT&T hasn't introduced a new service that explicitly prioritizes one type of traffic over another. But that doesn't mean that it isn't offering other services that might run afoul of the strict network neutrality restrictions that are set to expire soon. 

Commissioner Mignon Clyburn of the Federal Communications Commission says every route should be pursued to restore network neutrality rules, from the courts to Congress. But she didn't say which she thought would be most likely to succeed because she thinks "it's important for all of the sectors and these points and these avenues to be addressed," she said.