FCC's Baker sees Title II as back door for network neutrality

Federal Communications Commission member Meredith Baker says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski may be attempting to slip network neutrality rules through a back door, using his proposal to change how broadband is regulated.

"I have concerns that this Title II debate is really about putting potential net neutrality rules on firmer ground," she said in a speech on June 10. "It would be a disservice to consumers and the entire Internet ecosystem for us to allow this Title II debate to devolve into a take-it-or-leave-it reclassification fight," Commissioner Baker said. Reiterating her view that government-issued open Internet rules are not necessary at all, she pointed to the announcement Wednesday that major companies have decided to form a technical advisory group as evidence the Federal Communications Commission does not need to intervene to create net neutrality regulations. She called the group "a significant first step towards a viable self-governance model" to address net neutrality.