PROFILE
FROM Berin Szoka
Is net neutrality about to come to an end? The Federal Communications Commission calls it " restoring Internet freedom ," but whose "freedom" is the FCC talking about? AT&T, Verizon and other broadband providers are regulated like utilities -- required to give access to all content at equal speed. That's "net neutrality." The FCC would eliminate the "neutrality" and allow broadband companies to charge some websites more than others, creating fast lanes for those who could afford them and slow lanes for others. So, what's at stake for start-ups that depend on equal access to innovate and to grow — and for consumers?
New Rules for the Internet FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is advocating that Internet providers be required to maintain " net neutrality ." The one-time chief lobbyist for the cable industry has turned on former employers, including Comcast and Time-Warner. That means cable and phone companies could not increase their profits by selling faster access to some websites while denying it to everyone else. Google, Netflix, Amazon, many businesses and consumer groups call that a major victory. But another battle in 10 years of warfare is just beginning. On a video that went viral last summer, comedian John Oliver told his viewers the FCC was asking for their opinions. Oliver may or may not deserve credit, but the agency has received four million public comments. And now, the joke may be on him. Tom Wheeler, the very man Oliver said wanted to "fix" a system that wasn’t broken, has now proposed what Oliver wanted.
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