October 22nd, 2009
FCC unanimously approves next steps toward Net Neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously today to move forward on a process - expected to take 120 days - that could lead to Net Neutrality regulations. The vote came after the two dissenters on the commission - Republicans Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker - went on the record to say they disagreed with some of the arguments in chairman Julius Genachowski’s proposal. According to the Washington Post’s PostTech blog, McDowell said:
Today we do disagree on substance. I do not agree with the majority’s view that the Internet is showing breaks and cracks and that the government … needs to fix it. Nonetheless it is important to remember that the commission is starting a process, not ending one.
McDowell also said that the FCC should also be considering whether new rules should apply to a larger spectrum of companies, including Web companies and mobile carriers, and not just traditional access providers such AT&T and Comcast.
AT&T, which has been lobbying against Net Neutrality, has argued that any new rules should apply to content delivery networks - Web companies that deliver information to users and, therefore, act as gatekeepers of the Web in a way that’s different from the access providers but definitely in line with what the FCC is looking into.
The Net Neutrality matter now heads into a period for public comments and other fact-gathering. That process will continue into early next year.
Also see: FCC’s official release (PDF), FCC’s Net Neutrality Presentation
Related coverage:
- FCC’s Net neutrality push: Is wireless access different?
- AT&T cries foul to FCC, uses Google Voice to spark Net Neutrality debate
- Smart Planet: Net neutrality: When does transparency collide with competitive edge?
Sam Diaz is a senior editor at ZDNet. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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