If you like your internet, you will be able to keep your internet. Period.
No one will take them away. No matter what.
Posted on 02/26/2015 3:43:07 PM PST by NewHampshireDuo
Today the FCC voted three to two to reclassify broadband Internet access as a common carrier service under Title II of the Communications Act, and forbear from the parts of the Act that aren’t necessary for net neutrality rules. This reclassification gives the FCC the authority to enact (and enforce) narrow, clear rules which will help keep the Internet the open platform it is today.
As expected, the FCC’s new rules forbid ISPs from charging Internet users for special treatment on their networks. It will also reach interconnection between ISPs and transit providers or edge services, allowing the FCC to ensure that ISPs don’t abuse their gatekeeper authority to favor some services over others.
That’s great for making sure websites and services can reach ISP customers, but what about making sure customers can choose for themselves how to use their Internet connections without interference from their ISPs? To accomplish this, the FCC has banned ISPs from blocking or throttling their customers’ traffic based on content, applications or services—which means users, hackers, tinkerers, artists, and knowledge seekers can continue to innovate and experiment on the Internet, using any app or service they please, without having to get their ISP’s permission first.
Even better, the rules will apply to wireless and wired broadband in the same way, so you don’t have to worry that your phone switching from Wi-Fi to a 4G network will suddenly cause apps not to work or websites to become inaccessible. Lots of people use mobile devices as their primary way of accessing the Internet, so applying net neutrality rules to both equally will help make sure there is “one Internet” for all.
So congratulations, Team Internet. We put the FCC on the right path at last. Reclassification under Title II was a necessary step in order to give the FCC the authority it needed to enact net neutrality rules. But now we face the really hard part: making sure the FCC doesn’t abuse its authority.
For example, the new rules include a “general conduct rule” that will let the FCC take action against ISP practices that don’t count as blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization. As we said last week and last year, vague rules are a problem. The FCC wants to be, in Chairman Wheeler’s words, “a referee on the field” who can stop any ISP action that it thinks “hurts consumers, competition, or innovation.” The problem with a rule this vague is that neither ISPs nor Internet users can know in advance what kinds of practices will run afoul of the rule. Only companies with significant legal staff and expertise may be able to use the rule effectively. And a vague rule gives the FCC an awful lot of discretion, potentially giving an unfair advantage to parties with insider influence. That means our work is not yet done. We must stay vigilant, and call out FCC overreach.
The actual order is over 300 pages long, and it’s not widely available yet. Details matter. Watch this space for further analysis when the FCC releases the final order.
Aye - there's the rub. Anyone who thinks that any agency in this lawless administration will exercise restraint is sorely deluded. Big win for the tyrant.
Dear FCC:
GFY!
Button down those firewalls! This is going to get messy.
Ditto, megadittos.
I’m sure it will cost us more money. It always does.
Now the botnets will be able DDOS entire backbones.
The government has never exercised “restraint” in implementing and enforcing rules. They just heap more rules on top of rules. Good luck go us all.
Aren’t there two previous court cases that said the FCC does not have the legal authority to regulate the Internet? I also seem to recall a specific Congressional prohibition for the FCC to regulate the Internet. I guess this is what fascism looks like.
When you have a nearly unlimited supply of lawyers, you will get a nearly unlimited amount of regulation.
“which means users, hackers, tinkerers, artists, and knowledge seekers can continue to innovate and experiment on the Internet, using any app or service they please, without having to get their ISP’s permission first.”
Is this an issue for residential customers? I use business class service since I telework so much and with that, I’ve never encountered any problems from the isp.
Omg. The authors are complete dumbasses
THe FCC is part of the administration, and they don’t like those laws, so they won’t be enforced.
All those little fees that get attached to your phone bill will start to appear on the bills from your ISP.
“And a vague rule gives the FCC an awful lot of discretion, potentially giving an unfair advantage to parties with insider influence. That means our work is not yet done. We must stay vigilant, and call out FCC overreach.”
You over educated idiots. Your work is not yet done? You just piled on top of your heads a heck of a lot more work because of your support for net neutrality. Staying vigilant and calling out FCC overreach will do little to nothing about the new tyranny you have supported. Much like obamacare supporters who learned the hard way that they supported garbage legislation, I imagine it will take a ton of bricks to fall on your heads too before you buy a clue.
Oh cool no firewall rule no QOS... its the internet.. with no speed limit, stop signs, or traffic lights or even cops at the intersections..... gonna be hell of a death toll interspersed with massive traffic jams from hell....
Its IP networking by numbskulls
The court that struck down previous net neutrality rules did so because the FCC previously classified broadband under Title I of the Telecommunications Act of 1934, but tried to apply common carrier rules that fall under Title II. The Court said that the FCC could not do so because the FCC had chosen not to classify broadband under Title II. In today’s vote, the FCC essentially revisited the previous decision to classify under Title I, changed its mind, and reclassfied under Title II.
Summary of Commissioner Pai's Oral Dissent on Internet Regulation
If you like your internet, you will be able to keep your internet. Period.
No one will take them away. No matter what.
The size 20 foot of the Gummint is once again in the door.
As a residential customer, I’ve never come across any such thing.
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