Question

What do you think is going to happen in regards to net neutrality in the current and future administrations?

Answer 1

Over the past few years, net neutrality has become one of the major contentious issues. In December 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted to eliminate the U.S. government’s net neutrality rules, thus opening the door for telecom giants such as Comcast, AT&T, Charter, and Verizon to block or slow down access to websites and prioritize their own movies, music, and other content offerings over their rivals. This unravels a signature accomplishment of the Obama administration and the overseeing responsibility of the web is shifted to another federal agency. In practice, it says that American government will no longer have rules on its books that need internet providers to treat all web traffic equally. Broadband providers may charge third parties, such as tech giants, for faster delivery of their web content. The publicity surrounding the net neutrality issue has diminished the FCC ability to role as an expert regulatory body

Telecom giants will be still required to publish information about their network practices and if they prioritize their content over rivals, for example, they have to inform consumers. Otherwise, companies that seek to stamp out their rivals or deceive their consumers could face penalties from the Federal Trade Commission. This will allow a flexible framework for the internet of the future and help smaller broadband providers to grow. It will be a great moment for consumers, for innovation, and for freedom.

The regulating the internet under the FCC has noticed that investment in broadband has reduced, thus ISPs pull back on deployments and services kept on the shelf. In future the net neutrality repeal is more akin to a return to business in a way an entrance into a brave new world. In part, this occurs because the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which will take the lead on net neutrality protections after the repeal, lacks some of the consumer protection tools that the FCC has. The current rules hamper development; diminish the protection of consumers and lacks incentive to grow; and the new rules in future will overcome these issues.