Earlier this week, we reported that the FCC announced they would reconsider their new rules for Internet service providers. Many, including myself, were skeptical that this was an earnest effort to revise the rules to be friendlier to the consumer and was instead a vague statement made to pacify critics and groups that opposed the proposed rules. It seems that this was the case. Yesterday, the FCC voted 3-2 to move forward with a plan to allow ISP’s to provide higher speeds exclusively to businesses who pay a premium price.
As part of the proposal, Internet Service Providers will also now be considered public utilities, which means that it will give the FCC significant powers to regulate the industry. Internet service providers strongly oppose this, while consumer protection groups applauded this measure.
This plan is not a final rule, but it is a significant step forward that would allow this to be voted on in as little as 4 months. The proposal will be open to public comment for 120 days, and could potentially be voted on after that.
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