Rules of the road for the Internet

[Commentary] The Internet has always thrived on the idea that its highways and byways are wide open roads with little outside interference. But 2014 has not been kind to Open Internet advocates. Here are some questions to consider as the fate of the open Internet plays out:

• Q: What is the open Internet? The open Internet, or net neutrality, is a principle that says all legal content on the Internet is equal.
• Q: What is the status of the FCC's open Internet rules? They are largely no longer in effect.
• Q: So what's the FCC doing about that? The agency says the Telecommunications Act of 1996 allows it to regulate net neutrality violations on a case-by-case basis, and it'll continue to press this point.
• Q: Why does Comcast's merger with Time Warner Cable worry open Internet proponents when Comcast doesn't directly compete with TWC? While market size is a concern, merger opponents also are worried about the combined company's influence on content providers and other suppliers.
• Q: Why is Netflix's deal with Comcast such a shocker to net neutrality advocates? Open Internet proponents see it as the first overt example of the pay-for-play practice that could invite abuse from ISPs.
• Q: How is the Netflix-Comcast deal a game changer for the net neutrality debate? Network neutrality regulators and proponents had operated with the assumption that the rules applied mostly only to the question of whether ISPs treat content fairly. But the Netflix deal has them thinking more broadly.