Network Neutrality

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai swung through New Orleans on to brief local technology sector leaders on how the city and Louisiana stand to benefit from what he called the "light-touch regulatory approach" in the era of President Donald Trump. Chairman Pai was joined by US Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA), who reiterated that he's a "strong supporter" of Pai's push to end rules governing net neutrality. Few specifics were given about what was discussed during the closed-door meeting with Chairman Pai and Rep Scalise.

Democratic Sens are planning to take a first step the week of May 7 toward forcing a vote to restore the Federal Communications Commission's network neutrality regulations. Democrats have been gathering signatures under the Congressional Review Act to force a vote to overturn the decision by the FCC to repeal the net neutrality rules. Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) tweeted that Democrats will file the petition to force the vote on May 9. The vote could take place as soon as the week after.

[Commentary] More than four months after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal its network neutrality rules, the rules adopted in 2015 are technically still on the books. And we still do not know when the repeal will take effect. The situation is “highly unusual” according to telecommunications policy expert Harold Feld. The question is, why is FCC Chairman Ajit Pai dragging his feet now when he’s so close to his goal?

Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) continued to rail against the Federal Communications Commission's December decision to undo Obama-era net neutrality protections, arguing that the ruling could especially hurt Americans living in rural communities who face fewer choices when it comes to high-speed internet providers. Sen Markey, who is leading a Senate effort to override the FCC's controversial rollback, joined Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and other net neutrality advocates in highlighting the challenges rural Americans could face if the internet does not remain "free and open." 

More than 100 US mayors have signed on to the Cities Open Internet Pledge requiring all internet providers that do business with participating cities to adhere to strong Net Neutrality principles.  The effort was launched during the SXSW conference in March when Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York City, Steve Adler of Austin (TX) and Ted Wheeler of Portland (OR) released the pledge and urged fellow mayors to sign on.

A California bill that would impose the nation's strictest net neutrality law has been approved by another state Senate committee, bringing it closer to passage. The California Senate Judiciary committee approved the bill April 24 in a 5-2 vote, with Democrats supporting the net neutrality rules and Republicans opposing them. The bill was also approved recently by the California Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee despite protests from AT&T and cable lobbyists.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal its net neutrality rules in December 2017. “The backlash to the repeal was overwhelming from internet users across the political spectrum. It led to a situation where we’re actually on the offense and we have this incredible tool, a powerful tool, somewhat of a blunt instrument, that Congress can use to block the FCC’s incredibly unpopular decision and keep these rules in place,” said Evan Greer, deputy director of internet advocacy group Fight for the Future.

[Op-ed] There is considerable confusion about what’s really at stake in the congressional debates over net neutrality and online privacy regulation.

Catherine Moyer, CEO of the nonprofit Pioneer Communications in Ulysses (KS) said network neutrality hadn’t thwarted her company’s infrastructure spending. Rather, she said the broadband investment drop in 2015 was likely due to uncertainty about internet infrastructure subsidies. Moyer said now that net neutrality rules have gone away, there’s a chance to bargain with Netflix and other companies looking to spare their customers the purgatory of buffering. More than half of Pioneer’s traffic is now streaming video. Netflix alone accounts for 42 percent.

[Commentary] Until recently, the Federal Communications Commission dutifully provided statistics, perhaps framed in ways to support a policy objective. But until now, not one statistical report included a partisan jab. Despite lots of blabber about empiricism and humility, someone thought it fair and balanced to couple regularly-reported statistics with an unsupported assertion that the 2015 Open Internet Order singularly caused a decline in the pace of increased subscribership and network performance during the last two bummer Obama years.  In a statistical report, mandated by law, the FCC