FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules

muggs sends word that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted 3-2 to approve an expansion of their ability to regulate ISPs by treating them as a public utility. Under the rules, it will be illegal for companies such as Verizon or Cox Communications to slow down streaming videos, games and other online content traveling over their networks. They also will be prohibited from establishing "fast lanes" that speed up access to Web sites that pay an extra fee. And in an unprecedented move, the FCC could apply the rules to wireless carriers such as T-Mobile and Sprint -- a nod to the rapid rise of smartphones and the mobile Internet. ... The FCC opted to regulate the industry with the most aggressive rules possible: Title II of the Communications Act, which was written to regulate phone companies. The rules waive a number of provisions in the act, including parts of the law that empower the FCC to set retail prices — something Internet providers feared above all. However, the rules gives the FCC a variety of new powers, including the ability to: enforce consumer privacy rules; extract money from Internet providers to help subsidize services for rural Americans, educators and the poor; and make sure services such as Google Fiber can build new broadband pipes more easily.

Comments

is it 4/1 already

[Some_Llama]

this seems to good to be true... it's what the populace wants, what the corporations didn't, and it makes sense.

I can't correlate this with being a current government agency that interfaces between the public and commerce...

after so many time being disappointed by the choices our government makes i guess im in battered wife syndrome type shock.

Re: nice, now for the real fight

[nobuddy]

Seeing your job as an anti-neutrality shill drying up, are we?

Re: nice, now for the real fight

[Dragonslicer]

I hope so. The longer the fccstays the fuckout of t he Internet, th e better.

You see, if we already Net Neutrality rules in place, your ISP wouldn't be able to screw up your connection so badly that your text isn't even making it through in the right order.

Re:So when do we get to SEE these rules?

[nobuddy]

Ouch. you can't present facts to the Fox crowd. They have never seen a fact before, it is an alien thing. It sparks a fight-or-flight response.

Re:Can't be enforced.

[Captain Splendid]

All of your "potential" scenarios are so fucking crazy, either from a technical or business standpoint I gotta ask you for the number of your drug dealer. That's some good shit.