The next big turning point in the network neutrality debate

Industry groups representing large ISPs continue to oppose Title II on principle but have also engaged on the forbearance question. Comcast said in a filing that if the Federal Communications Commission does wind up using Title II, it should forbear from all of the sections. The fact that the company is entertaining the idea of forbearance at all, much less offering suggestions for how to do it, is significant. Comcast still believes Title II would be harmful, and the wider point of its filing is to say as much. But the possibility of Title II and forbearance is clearly on the company's mind, and its latest filing addresses the issue at length. Even as a wider ideological battle rages over whether to use Title II, a more substantive discussion about which parts of Title II would or wouldn't apply is taking place. The discussion involves not just the traditional proponents of aggressive rules who view forbearance as a key part of the Title II strategy, but also opponents. That's an important step forward for the discussion.