Obama's Plan For Net Neutrality

Is there still hope for net neutrality? President Obama made a statement this morning in full support, asking the FCC to consider the Internet a public utility, which would mean no throttling or "fast lanes." In his statement, he made clear that the FCC can act on its own, so the agency could very well ignore him. Here's what he said about his plan: The FCC is an independent agency, and ultimately this decision is theirs alone. I believe the FCC should create a new set of rules protecting net neutrality and ensuring that neither the cable company nor the phone company will be able to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online. The rules I am asking for are simple, common-sense steps that reflect the Internet you and I use every day, and that some ISPs already observe. These bright-line rules include: No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it. That way, every player — not just those commercially affiliated with an ISP — gets a fair shot at your business. No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called “throttling” — based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences. Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs — the so-called “last mile” — is not the only place some sites might get special treatment. So, I am also asking the FCC to make full use of the transparency authorities the court recently upheld, and if necessary to apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet. No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee. That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the Internet’s growth. So, as I have before, I am asking for an explicit ban on paid prioritization and any other restriction that has a similar effect. Already, there are mixed reviews about his plan. But would you expect anything else? You can watch his full statement below:

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Obama's Plan For Net Neutrality

Obama laid out his plan this morning for net neutrality. He urged the FCC to stop throttling, outlaw paid prioritization and increase overall transparency.

Karen Fratti

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Karen Fratti