FCC Moving To Fix Net Neutrality Setbacks, Senator Al Franken Leading The Charge
The fight over net neutrality is ongoing, and the most recent punch thrown took the form of a letter that several U.S. senators, including Senator Al Franken, wrote to new FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, urging him to act quickly to fight back against a recent court ruling that vacated the anti-discrimination and anti-blocking portions of the order.
“The Court’s ruling threatens the freedom of innovators to compete on an open, neutral platform,” reads the letter. “Without rules to preserve fair competition--rules to bar Internet networks operators from discriminating against one content provider over another--deep-pocketed incumbents will have the ability to enter into arrangements with Internet Service Providers that disfavor the delivery of their competition.”
Of course, the letter is a bit of posturing, as the senators are preaching to the choir. The FCC drafted the net neutrality rules in the first place, and the agency is working to fix the legal technicality that allowed for Verizon to win the net neutrality appeal.
Indeed, it was Verizon leading the charge against net neutrality, although it’s not alone in its efforts to effectively control the Internet. The fight continues, and the next haymaker will come in the form of the FCC patching the holes in the net neutrality rules. We should know more about those details soon.
“The Court’s ruling threatens the freedom of innovators to compete on an open, neutral platform,” reads the letter. “Without rules to preserve fair competition--rules to bar Internet networks operators from discriminating against one content provider over another--deep-pocketed incumbents will have the ability to enter into arrangements with Internet Service Providers that disfavor the delivery of their competition.”
Of course, the letter is a bit of posturing, as the senators are preaching to the choir. The FCC drafted the net neutrality rules in the first place, and the agency is working to fix the legal technicality that allowed for Verizon to win the net neutrality appeal.
Indeed, it was Verizon leading the charge against net neutrality, although it’s not alone in its efforts to effectively control the Internet. The fight continues, and the next haymaker will come in the form of the FCC patching the holes in the net neutrality rules. We should know more about those details soon.
