Vote to Reinstate Net Neutrality Coming

The FCC plans a vote to reinstate Net Neutrality rules on April 25^th, and several telecom associations have voiced their concerns.

USTelecom released a statement calling the rules “counterproductive, unnecessary, and anti-consumer.” The Internet & Television Association also expressed concern saying it would hurt efforts bring internet to unserved communities and would mean "years of litigation and uncertainty."

The Computer & Communications Industry Association showed support, however, highlighting the importance of “open access to the internet.”

The Net Neutrality Debate

The rules were originally proposed and enacted about a decade ago, and then repealed in 2017.

The issues are complex. Those on both sides of the debate over net neutrality regulation vs less or different regulation tend to sound like they want the same goal: universal and affordable access to broadband internet.

Those in favor of net neutrality believe that without regulatory oversight, service providers would have too much power to adjust speeds and access to content and might misuse it.

Opponents believe that there is no evedence of misuse or desire for BSPs to do those things, that it would keep big tech from paying its oversized share of capacity, and that this regulation would have economic repercussions that ultimately stifle investment and raise prices, among other things.

Some have also wondered how it might effect network slicing and a future of software-defined networking.