Not much to say here other than the administration is bent on regulating the Internet despite the wishes of Congress and the people. I am going to look into the option to leave broadband access a Title I service and providing some additional monitoring powers to the FCC. It may be the best option to insuring that broadband providers do not start limiting access to sites they do not approve while maintaining the freedom and innovation that is still fueling Internet growth.
The Federal Communications Commission has taken the first step toward figuring out how it’s going to regulate broadband after losing an important legal battle earlier this year.
At an open meeting Thursday, the FCC voted to open a proceeding that seeks comment on three options for redefining the FCC’s role in regulating broadband. The FCC is asking for comments on these new proposals, which it hopes will put it on firmer legal footing, after a federal appeals court ruled in April that the agency did not have authority to sanction Comcast for violating Net neutrality principles. Comcast had been caught throttling BitTorrent transfers on its network.
One of the three choices that the public will comment on includes, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s “third way” proposal for redefining broadband traffic, which would allow the commission to change the classification of broadband services from a lightly regulated Title I Information Service to a more vigorously regulated Title II Telecommunications service. Broadband service providers, such as AT&T and Verizon Communications, are against the “third way” proposal. And opposition has been growing among Congressional leaders.
