February the 26th, 2014
It’s not often that the Federal Communications Commission is the center of attention of the entire country. It will be today, as it has been for the past several weeks, with Chairman Wheeler’s controversial Net Neutrality rules about to become a reality.
The rules, which the FCC says will prohibit Internet Service Providers from charging companies for a “faster lane” of the Internet, are expected to be passed along party lines later today.
***THE RULES WERE PASSED BY A 3-2 VOTE ALONG PARTY LINES*****
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai has been a very outspokn critic of the plan and says he will vote no. Pai has said President Obama tried to influence policy, putting pressure on the FCC to pass the rules, in a YouTube video, which he’s never seen done before by a president.
Other critics are saying the government is trying to fix a problem that does not exist and the Internet has been innovative for 20 years without government intervention. Congressman Greg Walden is another critic of the new rules.
House Energy and Commerce subcommittee chairman, and former broadcaster, Republican Greg Walden, is among those who have criticized Wheeler’s plan, suggesting the FCC chairman has kowtowed to President Obama, who three months ago called for strong net-neutrality regulations.
“The closer we get to the FCC rubber stamping President Obama’s Internet grab, the more disturbing it becomes. Consumers, innovators and job creators all stand to lose from this misguided approach.”
Walden was hoping to pass a law to prohibit ISP’s from selling the faster lane and prohibit any blocking or slowing of content but that idea was shot down by Democrats who back the FCC plan.
The new rules essentially turns the Internet into a utility that can be regulated.
