Article Blog #6: Net Neutrality Again

GOP: Neutrality Rules Will Thwart Broadband Investment

Once again, net neutrality is in the news. The FCC recently revised their network neutrality rules. The new plan adds two new principles to the existing four, and turns the principles into regulations. The new principles require that internet providers not discriminate against any lawful content on the internet, and that they stay transparent about how they manage their networks. The chairman of the FCC also said that neutrality principles should also apply to wireless networks.

To me, this proposal sounds like a good idea. But not everyone feels this way. House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Republican whip Eric Cantor sent a letter to President Obama, complaining about the new FCC proposals. The pair claim that network neutrality rules would threaten investment in broadband technologies. This letter came after a move by House Republicans to block funding to the FCC to prevent the new neutrality rules from being put in place. This move was retracted, and never took effect. In addition, the letter advised Obama to instruct the FCC to drop net neutrality in favor of extending broadband internet access to all US homes.

The reactions of these two congressmen are somewhat hard for me to understand. First, while President Obama does have significant influence with many departments of the government, the FCC is an independant agency and not directly controlled by the President. Second, the claim that net neutrality will thwart investment in broadband technology is ridiculous. The ISPs argue that they need to be able to control and limit access to ensure fair access to their networks. They claim that the rules will prevent them from managing their networks properly. However, there is nothing in the new rules that would prevent the companies from conducting business as usual, as long as the companies are transparent about their actions. The new proposals are important steps, but they only extend the existing rules to a minor degree. The internet has thrived for the past decades with neutrality, and there is no reason that it won't continue to flourish under the new neutrality rules.

Additional Sources:
Network neutrality: Doing the right things
House GOP Leaders Complain to Obama About Net Neutrality