The Federal Communications Commission has voted restore net neutrality protections that were scrapped during the Trump administration. As expected, the vote was along party lines, with all three Democratic commissioners in favor and the two Republicans on the panel voting against the measure.
With net neutrality rules in place, broadband service is considered an essential communications resource under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. That allows the FCC to regulate broadband Internet in a manner similar to broadband Internet services. water, energy and telephone. That includes providing the agency with oversight of broadband network outages and security. Brendan Carr, one of the Republican commissioners, called the move an “illegal power grab.”
Under net neutrality rules, Internet service providers must treat broadband usage the same. Users must have access to all content, websites and applications at the same speeds and conditions. ISPs cannot block or prioritize certain content; They cannot limit access to specific sites or charge streaming services for faster service.
The FCC adopted net neutrality protections in 2015 during the Obama administration. But they were scrapped when President Donald Trump was in office. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to bring back Obama-era rules, but the FCC was unable to do so for quite some time. The commission was deadlocked with two Democratic votes and two Republican votes until Anna Gomez was sworn in as the panel's third Democratic commissioner last September. The FCC then acted relatively quickly (at least in terms of its pace) to restore net neutrality protections.
The issue may not be completely resolved. There may still be legal challenges from the telecommunications industry. However, the FCC's vote in favor of net neutrality is a victory for advocates of an open and equitable Internet.
