FCC moves ahead with Title II net neutrality plan

The US FCC is moving ahead with plans to re-designate broadband service providers under so-called Title II authority, giving the regulator enhanced powers of oversight to ensure net neutrality.

FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel (source: FCC)

Title II reclassifies broadband as a utility, giving the FCC more power to regulate.

“The pandemic proved once and for all that broadband is essential. After the prior administration abdicated authority over broadband services, the FCC has been handcuffed from acting to fully secure broadband networks, protect consumer data, and ensure the internet remains fast, open, and fair.  A return to the FCC’s overwhelmingly popular and court-approved standard of net neutrality will allow the agency to serve once again as a strong consumer advocate of an open internet,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The Commission will vote on the net neutrality proposal at its April open meeting on April 25. If adopted, the reclassification and rules will for the most part go into effect 60 days later.

The FCC is divided along partisan lines on net neutrality, with Republican commissioners opposing.

Proponents of Title II in the Commission maintain that the return of broadband to Title II will prevent at Federal level broadband providers from blocking, slowing down, or creating pay-to-play internet fast lanes, provide greater oversight of bdroadband outages, boost the security of broadband networks, for example by limiting the ability of foreign-owned companies deemed to be national security threats from owning and running networks, help protect consumer data and restore a national standard for fast, open and fair internet access.

The most vociferous opposition to the change has come from Commissioner Brendan Carr, who immediatgely published a dissenting note, characterizing the move as “part of the Biden Adminsitration’s plan for expanding government control of the internet” that would open the door to “freewheeling micromanagement by government bureaucrats”.