Regulatory classification

The most obvious reason that network neutrality violations have been rare since Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent is that the Federal Communications Commission has enforced net neutrality rules since 2010 (aside from a year-long interlude without rules caused by a Verizon lawsuit). But to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, this just proves that the rules aren't necessary. "Because of the paucity of concrete evidence of harms to the openness of the Internet, the [2015 net neutrality] Order and its proponents have heavily relied on purely speculative threats," Pai's proposal says.

Reversing the 2015 [Title II] decision—this massive regulatory overreach—has my full support.

Much has been said and written over the course of the last week about the plan to restore Internet freedom. But much of the discussion has brought more heat than light. I’d like to cut through the hysteria and hot air and speak with you in plain terms about the plan. First, I’ll explain what it will do. Second, I’ll discuss why I’m advancing it. And third, I’ll respond to the main criticisms that have been leveled against it.

Comcast said it has no plans to offer fast lanes on the internet after the Federal Communications Commission eliminates Obama-era regulation, which banned the practice. The nation's biggest cable operator responded to a report from the website Ars Technica, which stated Comcast might be considering offering a service that would charge companies like Netflix and Google to deliver their services more quickly to consumers. In a statement, Comcast denied the claim. "Comcast hasn't entered into any paid prioritization agreements. Period," spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice said.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to gut Obama-era net neutrality rules calls for handing off the job of policing broadband service to an agency with different powers and a different mandate. Giving the Federal Trade Commission oversight for the web can make sense from Pai’s perspective: It’s a consumer-protection agency that already has taken action against high-speed internet providers. But, there’s a key difference: The FCC sets rules designed to prevent bad behavior, while the FTC acts after wrongdoing has occurred.

Comcast continues to repeat it’s mantra that it will never block, throttle or discriminate against lawful content. But slight adjustments in its wording over the years indicates the Philadelphia-based company could change its position. Internet service providers have a monopoly or duopoly in many parts of the country, leaving consumers with little-to-no choice if they disagree with ISPs disclosed policies.

The Federal Communications Commission's Restoring Internet Freedom order has reinvigorated the FCC network neutrality docket, with tens thousands of new comments warning against the planned Dec. 14 vote on the order posted in the last day alone.  The docket already had over 22 million comments, and now is pushing toward 23 million, with over a half million in the last month, many of those since the order was circulated.

The attacks online and in protest signage against Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and his family over the Restoring Internet Freedom order circulated last week continued to draw condemnation, including a suggestion law enforcement may need to get involved.  That included from a longtime colleague, Robert McDowell, former senior FCC Republican commissioner and now chief public policy adviser for Mobile Future.

[Commentary] What the rollback of net neutrality rules actually mean for the US Internet ecosystem over the next several years? 1. Blatant Discrimination Against Particular Services Is Not That Likely; 2. Blatant Favoritism Of Particular Services Is Quite Likely; and 3. Different Tiers Of Services Based On Ability To Pay Is Overwhelmingly Likely. The result will not be blatant discrimination and censorship of the Internet (which most Americans will not tolerate). Nope.

In the eight days after news broke that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai wants to fully repeal network neutrality rules, cable and broadcast news networks -- aside from MSNBC -- have given the story very little coverage.