What It Means: The FCC’s Net Neutrality Vote

by  Matt Hamblen, Computerworld

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) vote this week to create a series of new regulations protecting the open Internet is likely to change the nature of the Web.

The new rules, which include banning Internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking or throttling Internet traffic and taking payments to prioritize content and services on their networks, rely on Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 and Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. FCC officials say the commission will use the authorities granted it under these laws to help fend off the inevitable legal challenges its new rules will face.

Although the rules are meant in many ways to preserve the current status quo, they are likely to change the industry in several ways. Former FCC commissioner Michael Copps says the FCC could use the new rules to spur expansion of broadband Internet access by preempting state laws restricting the expansion of municipal broadband and slowing down consolidation among ISPs.

Many also are predicting ISPs will find ways to work around the FCC restrictions. Although the rules prohibit the creation of so-called “fast lanes” on public networks, ISPs could seek to circumvent these rules by creating private networks dedicated to carrying specific kinds of traffic.  The Pros & Cons in detail in this article