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FCC comes closer to realizing its net neutrality dream
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Amidst great protest from major traditional service providers, the FCC voted to support an open Internet rule that will prevent service providers from throttling down or blocking specific content going over their Internet pipes.
Of course, it will be a while before any FCC rule will take effect. The FCC's proposed rule is now open to public comment until January 14. After that period, the FCC says it will review the responses it gets and even ask for more input and then the FCC probably won't issue the formal rule until next spring.
"I am pleased that there is broad agreement inside the commission that we should move forward with a healthy and transparent process on an open Internet," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said on Thursday.
Still, it's not a complete slam dunk. Although the entire commission of three Democrats, including Genachowski, and two Republicans voted 'yes' to present the proposed network neutrality rules for public comment, the FCC's two Republicans seem to still be a bit uneasy with the way the rules are structured. Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker said that they don't believe that the government needs to be tinkering with the way service providers run the Internet. What's more, they were not sure if the FCC has the legal right to regulate the Internet either.
The FCC's proposed rules were met with both elation and frustration. For content providers such as Google who say that service providers should not be allowed to bar certain content from going on their networks, the proposed ruling is a victory.
However, traditional service providers such as AT&T think net neutrality rules are just plain unnecessary. "Regulators should understand that there's plenty of competition in this market," said John Stankey, AT&T's President of Operations Stankey during this week's Supercomm trade show in Chicago.
Already, Republicans are taking action to block the FCC's efforts. As reported in FierceTelecom's sister publication FierceWireless, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain has put a bill on the table aimed at preventing the FCC from going forward with its net neutrality rules.
For more:
- Reuters has this article
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Comments
Posted by Anonymous | October 26, 2009 - 11:58am
McCain has no idea what he is introducing... What is government for? Is it there for companies to run it or the people to elect politician to administer our interest? BTW... Socialism is not an "aspect" of government but a macro-prospective of governance. If your definition fits, the "aspect" prospective, then, buddy, we are already a socialist country and been that way since inception. Whether it was through a draft until the 70's or "Social" Security that your parent enjoy today. People who use those terms only demonstrate their inteligence and should stick to more suitable forums. The government controls the airwaves and land use, so it is completely normal for them to create rules to govern the access it provides to companies. How is this? Companies are charging you for the use of your property as a citizen of these United States. Guess what? You will cry and whine about a line item charge on your phone bill and you have no clue how to stop them from giving you greif. This is how, you change the rules of engagement. Now you can have relief from your grief and you can dry your eyes with the ballot you used to rebuke your happiness, understand. So without your support someone is actually helping you, but no one can't help the helpless. WOW... For McCain, retirement age is 59 and the future can only be interpreted by the young and thoughtful and not the old and cranky.
Posted by Bean | October 23, 2009 - 2:20pm
We voted for this socialist. We deserve what we get.
Posted by grant | October 23, 2009 - 2:20pm
Well, thank God and McCain for this move. Time Warner really bites, they are the central problem in the USA.
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