Network Neutrality

AI makes the fight for net neutrality even more important

On April 25, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will—for the seventh time in 20 years—address the issue of net neutrality.

Commissioner Carr Fact Checks Title II Claims

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr released a statement about the potential Title II designation of the internet. Commissioner Carr called Title II an attempt to "expand government control of the Internet," and listed and refuted several myths about Title II. These included:

FCC chair holds roundtable on net neutrality in Campbell (CA) ahead of agency vote

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel held a roundtable discussion about the vote on net neutrality with community leaders and agencies at the Santa Clara County Fire Department in Campbell, California.  She chose the site to focus on how restoring net neutrality would benefit public safety, pointing to how that very fire department had had its internet access throttled—or cut off—automatically when it hit its internet use cap during the 2018 Mendocino Fire.  Chairwoman Rosenworcel heard from the department’s assistant fire chief, Brian Glass, who said fire agenci

FCC won’t block California net neutrality law, says states can “experiment”

California can keep enforcing its state net neutrality law after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implements its own rules.

Analyst says return of net neutrality rules unlikely to spark big changes at ISPs

Ahead of the confirmation from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the agency plans to vote to restore network neutrality on April 25, a top policy analyst weighed in to say that he doesn't expect a return of the rules to alter the way that broadband service providers operate. Like its 2015 predecessor, this version of the rules will again attempt to reclassify broadband as a more heavily-regulated "Title II" commu

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for April 2023 Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the April Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2024:

Model analysis on the economic impact of paid peering: Implications of the Netflix vs. SK broadband dispute

In April 2020, Netflix, Inc. and its Korean subsidiary Netflix Services Korea Ltd. filed a lawsuit against SK Broadband, Inc., seeking confirmation that there were no obligations to bear network costs. On June 25, 2021, the Seoul Central District Court rejected Netflix’s argument and acknowledged the existence of an obligation to negotiate fees. Netflix subsequently appealed the decision on November 5, 2021.

Benton Institute Welcomes Step Towards Net Neutrality

By restoring broadband as subject to the Commission's authority under Title II of the Communications Act, the FCC will assure that a handful of powerful telecommunications companies will not favor themselves and their business partners over consumers, non-profits and small businesses who also seek to speak and to receive information over the internet. However, this is about much more than blocking and throttling; it is also about public safety, national security and privacy.

FCC to Vote on Restoring Net Neutrality

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the FCC will vote during its April Open Meeting to restore Net Neutrality, which would bring back a national standard for broadband reliability, security, and consumer protection.  If adopted, the Chairwoman’s proposal would ensure that broadband services are treated as an essential resource deserving of FCC oversight under Title II authority. If adopted, the proposal would:

Refuting Bogus Broadband Lobby Claims that Title II Harms Investment in Networks

The claim that restoring light-touch Title II authority and basic Open Internet rules would harm—or did harm, from 2015 through 2018—ISPs’ broadband network investments is extraordinary. Not only because mountains of evidence from the ISPs themselves demonstrate its falsity; it is also extraordinary because the mechanism by which this supposed harm would occur is illogical and unreasonable, and has been proven ever more outlandish over time.  ISPs exist to generate economic returns for their shareholders.