Gautham Nagesh of The Wall Street Journal breaks a story that tomorrow FCC Head to Revise Broadband-Rules Plan-Agency Won't Let Firms Segregate Web Traffic Into Fast, Slow Lanes, in what appears may be a at least a small victory for net neutrality proponents. The FCC has been deluged with criticism of proposed rules to regulate broadband internet that critics say represents a complete trashing of "internet neutrality." These modest adjustments by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler are not likely to mollify critics, but do indicate how much pressure the FCC is under.
The new language by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to be circulated as early as Monday is an attempt to address criticism of his proposal unveiled last month that would ban broadband providers from blocking or slowing down websites but allow them to strike deals in which content companies could pay them for faster delivery of Web content to customers.
FCC Plan to guarantee Internet Virtue: OMG ONOZ Everybody be good! The great and powerful Tom Wheeler is going to "scrutinize us" if we are bad!
The current plan has drawn widespread criticisms from Google Inc, Netflic Inc, NFLX, many technology investers, and even other members of the FCC,many who say the new rules will allow internet providers to segregate the internet into slow lanes and fast lanes.
In the new draft, Mr. Wheeler is sticking to the same basic approach but will include language that would make clear that the FCC will scrutinize the deals to make sure that the broadband providers don't unfairly put nonpaying companies' content at a disadvantage, according to an agency official. ...
Perhaps the boldest change is Mr. Wheeler's willingness to broach the topic of reclassification. (as a utility) Those who argue for it say that it is the surest way to achieve pure "net neutrality," the notion that the Internet's pipes should be equally open to all. Without it, they say, the FCC's authority isn't strong enough to prevent the paid deals.
The new draft will specifically seek comments on the potential benefits of reclassifying broadband as a utility which would give the FCC much stronger power to regulate it and which some see as a threat to discourage internet providers from attempting to set up arrangements that would violate the current laws. Internet providers have fiercely opposed proposals to reclassify internet broadband as a utility and would certainly fight any such attempt in court causing long delays.
This article provides an overview of a complicated set of of issues and offers some glimmers of hope to what has been a discouraging set of developments over the last month.
The WSJ reports that the while the members of the FCC cannot agree what should be done there is widespread agreement that "the road we're on is to disaster."
Thanks to Just Bob so stimulating the idea for this cartoon a summary of the FCC's Tom Wheeler's plan to guarantee internet neutrality.
9:30 PM PT:
OMG ONOZ Everbody be good! The great and powerful Tom Wheeler is going to "scrutinize us" if we are not good!