netneutrality

New FCC Internet rules differentiate by service, not technology

14 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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Everyone is on the same common carrier track.

The new, common carrier rules released on Thursday by the FCC apply to all Internet service providers, including mobile, satellite, fixed wireless, telephone and cable companies. There’s some fine tuning where technical details are concerned, particularly regarding mobile broadband companies, but for the most part, Internet service is Internet service, regardless of technology.

As promised, the new rules specifically state that no blocking, no throttling and no paid prioritisation by ISPs will be allowed.… More

FCC common carrier rules for broadband released

12 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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The FCC has posted the full, and presumably official, version of the common carrier rules that will apply to broadband infrastructure and service that it approved two weeks ago. It’s 400 pages long, but looks to be fascinating reading…

In The Matter Of Protecting And Promoting The Open Internet Report And Order On Remand, Declaratory Ruling, And Order

…All the commissioners have released statements, those can be downloaded here.

Republican commissioner Ajit Pai has posted more detailed objections to the ruling, those can be found here.

FCC says the dingo ate my decision

3 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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I’ll do it after my nap.

A thousand word blog post explaining why the FCC hasn’t released the text of its decision last week that brings Internet service and infrastructure under common carrier rules boils down to one feeble excuse: we haven’t finished writing it yet.

The explanation, offered by FCC general counsel Jon Salet, is nonsense. It goes on at length about the need for robust internal discussions at the FCC and the necessity of preparing a final document that responds to the points raised by dissenting commissioners…

Commissioners often prepare individual statements expressing their opinions on the order, and those statements are generally first shared with the other Commissioners and staff.

… More

Still waiting to read the actual FCC net neutrality and muni broadband decisions

27 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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The suspense is killing the Internet.

The FCC’s decisions yesterday to preempt state bans on municipal broadband projects and regulate Internet service and infrastructure using common carrier rules are still under wraps. The commission wasted no time in posting laudatory summaries, which largely reiterated past public statements. The (prepared) comments the commissioners made during the voting session were also quickly up on the FCC’s website.

But the actual text of the decisions they approved yesterday haven’t been made public.… More

FCC imposes common carrier rules on the Internet, preempts muni broadband bans

26 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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The deed is done. Both, actually. The FCC voted this morning to use common carrier rules to regulate Internet infrastructure and service, and to preempt two state bans on municipal broadband in two particular communities.

“The Internet is simply too important to allow broadband providers to be the ones making the rules”, said chairman Tom Wheeler.

The three democrats on the commission – chairman Tom Wheeler and commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn – voted (and spoke) in favor; the two republican commissioners – Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly – voted against, after reading lengthy and sharply worded dissenting statements.… More

How the FCC will vote is certain, what's to be approved isn't

25 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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Tomorrow should be the big day. Common carrier regulation of broadband infrastructure and service is scheduled to be on the table at the FCC. There’s a possibility it could be bumped a month, though. Republican commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly want it delayed. Actually, they want it stopped altogether. But democrats hold three of the five commission seats, so that’s a sideshow.

One of the democrats, Mignon Clyburn, is reportedly pushing chair Tom Wheeler to make changes.… More

Vague rules will make the FCC a poor referee

22 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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It’s always a bad call when a ref begs to be noticed.

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler says he wants to be the Internet’s referee. He’s used that description of how he see’s the FCC role in managing the broadband ecosystem several times, most recently in a Colorado speech where he talked about his proposal to bring the Internet under common carrier regulations…

The proposal also looks forward into the broadband future to assure there are basic ground rules and a referee on the field to enforce them.

… More

Common carrier opponents' talking points miss the point

21 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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Unfortunately, it’s the way the game is played.

At first it seemed like there might be something resembling a public debate about the merits of bringing broadband infrastructure and service under common carrier rules before the FCC votes on it.

First, chairman Tom Wheeler delivered his sales pitch for the proposed rules. Then, commissioner Ajit Pai countered with substantive objections to what’s in the still-secret draft. But at the same time, he labeled it “President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet”.… More

Public posturing is a lousy way to evaluate new Internet rules, but it's all the FCC allows

11 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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Vague outlines are little help, just give us the full picture.

If you assume for the moment that both (democrat-appointed) FCC chair Tom Wheeler and (republican-appointed) commissioner Ajit Pai are speaking the literally truth when they characterise what the current plan to bring the Internet under common carrier utility rules actually says, then the shape of what’s in the still-secret document starts to emerge.

Wheeler gave a speech to a tech group in Colorado on Monday.… More

There are devils lurking in the details of new broadband rules, warns FCC commissioner

9 February 2015 by Steve Blum
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Minority report.

The latest plan to regulate broadband under common carrier rules is “a monumental shift toward government control of the Internet”, according to FCC commissioner Ajit Pai. On Friday, he released his rebuttal to chairman Tom Wheeler’s rosy summary of a thick – and still secret – proposal to impose stricter rules on how Internet service providers operate.

As a commissioner, Pai gets to see it now, before it’s voted on and released publicly at the end of the month.… More