How Obama’s network neutrality comments undid weeks of FCC work

President Barack Obama’s call for "the strongest possible rules" for network neutrality undermined weeks of work by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler to develop an alternative policy, which he has said in private meetings could preserve a free and open Web while also addressing concerns by the Internet providers.

Because of the unprecedented nature of the FCC's compromise proposal and its controversial nature -- critics fear it would not prevent Internet providers from slowing down content they don't like -- the agency held a flurry of meetings with a wide range of groups, including major tech companies, lobbyists, consumer advocates and the telecom industry to see if it could bring a broad coalition together around its plan, according to a half-dozen people familiar with the discussions. In the days before the president's statement, the agency's efforts appeared to be working. Some tech companies, including at least one major firm, and several tech interest groups showed signs of warming to the outreach. Chairman Wheeler scheduled a series of critical meetings on Nov 10 at the FCC to discuss differences. Talk emerged of working out language in a letter that would clarify the sentiments of all involved and help build consensus for Wheeler's plan. But all of that was thrown off-track as soon as President Obama called for "bright-line rules" backed up by the FCC's most aggressive powers. Now a number of companies who were close to signing onto the "hybrid" plan proposed by Wheeler are in a holding pattern. Demand for a less-compromising stance has increased. And pressure is building on Chairman Wheeler and the FCC to decide what it should do.