Net neutrality input period ending
Public has until end of week to comment on proposed rule change. FCC has received some 22 million so far.
This is the last week to submit comments to federal regulators who want to undo the government’s net neutrality rules for Internet service providers in a move that could have sweeping implications for the future of the Web.
The push to weaken or eliminate the rules has been met with praise from industry officials who argue that deregulation will support renewed investments in U. S. Internet networks, while consumer groups have slammed the proposal as a handout to big businesses and a potential threat to consumer choice.
The looming deadline ref lects the end of the Federal Communications Commission’s public comment period, a window during which regular Americans can weigh in on agency proposals. As of Wednesday, nearly 22 million comments had been filed.
What is net neutrality?
Net neutrality is the idea that your Internet service provider, be it Comcast, Verizon, AT& T or Charter, shouldn’t be allowed to arbitrarily manipulate Internet content you’ve requested as it travels across their networks. It’s a concept that says all websites, applications and services should be equally accessible to the consumer and not slowed down, blocked or subjected to extra fees before it reaches your screen.
In 2015, the FCC approved a set of rules that sought to codify that principle into practice. Led by Democrats at the time, the agency rammed the proposal through over the objections of Republicans — some of the same officials who now control the FCC.
And these Republicans want to undo the rules? Precisely. When the rules first passed, the FCC’s nowchairman, Ajit Pai, called them “intrusive government regulations that won’t work to solve a problem that doesn’t exist using legal authority the FCC doesn’t have.” Essentially, Pai argued, Internet service providers weren’t interested in blocking websites or throttling content, so there is no need for the FCC order prohibiting the practice.
Is Pai right?
For what it’s worth, some Internet service providers have pledged to uphold the ideals of net neutrality. Comcast has said it supports strong and legally enforceable net neutrality rules.
“We don’t and won’t block, throttle, or discriminate against lawful content,” the company said in a July blog post. “We also believe in full transparency; you’ll know what our customer policies are.”
Other industry groups, such as the cable trade association NCTA, have made similar pledges.
In general, companies are not allowed to make misleading or deceptive statements in their marketing. So you can probably rely on the specifics of these pledges. But it means that how words are defined and what isn’t being said are just as important as what is being said.
What about this idea that Internet ser vice providers support net neutrality?
Anyone can claim to support the idea of net neutrality without necessarily backing the legal machinery the government has put in place to defend it. Internet service providers have made this argument, saying they just don’t support the FCC’s implementation, which sought to regulate providers such as legacy phone companies.
Proponents of this move, known as reclassification, said this approach was the only way the principle of net neutrality could properly be preserved. Industry supporters say there are other ways it could be done, such as with an act of Congress or by using a different part of the FCC’s powers, but critics of that approach say it’s fraught with loopholes and opportunities for Internet service providers to game the system.
And that brings us back to what isn’t being said?
Right. Even though many Internet service providers are willing to say they don’t or won’t block content, that’s not the only tactic the industry has considered as it tries to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment. Providers have tinkered with the idea of giving you discounts if you allow them to sell your browsing history; of giving you “free” access to Netflix and Spotify if you agree to a lower- quality stream; of getting users to watch proprietary TV con- tent over cellular data. Each of these new models has ostensible benefits as well as drawbacks to the consumer. The question is: How far can carriers go to f ind new ways of profiting off everyone else who uses the Internet?
That’s ultimately what the net neutrality fight is all about. And even as Internet service providers say they support strong rules, or oppose blocking and throttling, those same companies are constantly on the lookout for revenue schemes that challenge assumptions about what it means to be an Internet service provider. And they’ll be seeking to shape any net neutrality regulation in ways that let them keep experimenting.
What can I do?
Whether you support or oppose the FCC’s deregulatory effort, you can file a public comment on the issue by visiting the relevant docket on the FCC website, then clicking “+ New Filing.”
The FCC is supposed to take all those comments into account as it designs the f inal order that closes out the issue.
Hasn’t there been controversy over the FCC comments?
There has. People on both sides of the debate have complained of comments being falsely submitted in other people’s names, bots and automated comments, hate speech and even hacking of the FCC’s systems. So far, the FCC has sought to distance itself from the fray, saying it’ll lend more weight to “high quality” comments but declining to really define what that means.
Ultimately, none of that may matter, because Republicans at the commission — outnumbering Democrats by 3 to 2 — have all the votes they need to roll back the net neutrality rules.