WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to approve strong net neutrality rules in a stunning decision that defies vocal, months-long opposition by telecom and cable companies and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn joined Chairman Tom Wheeler to approve a rule that reclassifies consumer broadband as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act.
The FCC intends to use this new authority to ban “paid prioritization,” a practice whereby Internet service providers can charge content producers a premium for giving users more reliable access to that content. The FCC also intends to ban blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. These regulations also apply to mobile access. More details about the plan are expected after vote.
“The Internet is simply too important to allow broadband providers to be the ones making the rules,” Wheeler said prior to the vote.
At the vote, Clyburn pointed out that “absent the rules we adopt today,” ISPs would be “free to block, throttle, favor or discriminate … for any user, for any reason, or for no reason at all.”
A few months ago, such rules were considered a pipe dream of net neutrality advocates. Last fall, Wheeler was reportedly still considering a “hybrid” approach to net neutrality that would have made major concessions to telecom and cable companies, who contend that strong regulations will hinder investment and innovation.
But President Barack Obama came out in support of Title II and tough net neutrality rules in November, and Wheeler had to contend with that position as well as millions of comments from the general public in support of net neutrality. Tech start-ups like Tumblr, as well as Silicon Valley giants like Google, also advocated for strong net neutrality rules.
The FCC decision is a major loss for Verizon, the company that initially sued the FCC in 2011 over rules that were considerably weaker than the new regulations. The new rules are also likely to be challenged in court.
Michael Powell, president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, a trade association, said in a statement that, “The FCC has taken us in a distressing direction. We must now look to other branches of government for a more balanced resolution.”
The FCC’s two Republican commissioners attacked the vote. Commissioner Ajit Pai called the decision an “about-face” and stoked conservative fears by claiming, “We are flip-flopping for one reason and one reason only: President Obama told us to do so.”
Those gathered in one FCC viewing room gasped and burst into laughter upon hearing Pai’s remark.
Republicans have launched investigations into whether the White House unfairly influenced the FCC’s decision, and are expected to pursue legislation, already introduced, that would gut the FCC’s new authority. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has said he plans to hold off-the-record meetings with stakeholders in early March in an attempt to drum up support from Democrats for his bill.
“Popular victories like today’s are so unusual that three Congressional committees are investigating how this happened,” said David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, a group that supports net neutrality. He added in a statement, “If the net neutrality effort had followed the usual playbook, if Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T had defeated the American people, nobody would be wondering why.”
Wheeler denounced as “nonsense” the claims that the FCC has a secret plan to regulate the Internet. He added, “This is no more a plan to regulate the Internet than the First Amendment is a plan to regulate free speech. They both stand for the same concept.”
