Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, confirmed that he will be submitting tough new rules on net neutrality to the FCC this week and will propose using Title II authority to implement and enforce open Internet protections.
Writing in an op-ed in Wired, Wheeler said he is submitting “the strongest open internet protections ever proposed by the FCC. These enforceable, bright-line rules will ban paid prioritisation, and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services.”
Importantly, Wheeler plans to propose that the rules are also fully applied to mobile broadband for the first time.
He also said his proposal will modernise Title II of the Communications Act, which would reclassify broadband providers as common carriers, rather than information services, subjecting them to stricter rules governing prices and how they manage traffic on their networks.
“For example, there will be no rate regulation, no tariffs, no last-mile unbundling. Over the last 21 years, the wireless industry has invested almost $300 billion under similar rules, proving that modernised Title II regulation can encourage investment and competition,” Wheeler added.
The FCC is due to vote on the matter on 26 February.
Lobbyists on both sides of the debate have made their voices heard loud and clear. Consumer a dvocates and over-the-top (OTT) companies want the FCC to use Title II to prevent big players from paying ISPs to prioritise their services and squeeze smaller players out of the market.
Meanwhile, telcos have repeatedly pointed out that they support the open Internet, and therefore using the Communications Act – drawn up in 1934 – is unnecessary, overbearing, and may hamper investment.
