FCC kicks off fight to restore net neutrality

After five years in a shallow grave, the FCC has revived the rules meant to force internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast and Verizon to treat all traffic equally. The agency voted in favor of a notice of proposed rulemaking Thursday, taking its first step toward reinstating net neutrality. 

“Today, there is no expert agency ensuring that the internet is fast, open, and fair. And for everyone, everywhere to enjoy the full benefits of the internet age, internet access needs to be more than just accessible and affordable,” Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said ahead of Thursday’s vote. “The internet needs to be open.” The notice was supported by Rosenworcel and Democratic commissioners Anna Gomez and Geoffrey Starks; it was opposed by Republican commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington.

The FCC’s proposal reads similarly to the Obama-era Open Internet Order that the Trump FCC, led by Ajit Pai, repealed in 2017. In order to ban ISPs from blocking and throttling internet traffic, the agency plans to reclassify broadband from an information service to a common carrier under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, imposing stricter rules and oversight reserved for public utilities.