Top ISPs warn FCC against adopting more regulations of broadband lines

[Himanshu Arora]

The US' biggest telecommunications providers have warned the FCC against reclassifying and regulating the internet as a public utility. They want the agency to avoid Title II reclassification of the internet, and stick to its original plan that allows ISPs to charge other companies for a faster lane of service.

As many as twenty eight CEOs representing companies that provide Internet service to a majority of Americans have sent a strongly-worded letter (PDF) to the federal agency in this regard.

"As demonstrated repeatedly, the future of the open internet has nothing to do with Title II regulation, and Title II has nothing to do with the open Internet. As it did in 2010, the commission should categorically reject efforts to equate the two once and for all", the ISPs wrote in the letter.

The companies warned that reclassifying the internet would prevent future investments and service upgrades. “An era of differentiation, innovation, and experimentation would be replaced with a series of ‘Government may I?’ requests from American entrepreneurs. That cannot be, and must not become, the U.S. Internet of tomorrow”.

While net neutrality advocates argue that regulating broadband Internet under Title II would give the federal agency the power to prevent ISPs from blocking websites or discriminating against competitors’ services, the companies say that the Title II regulation does not discourage, let alone outlaw, paid prioritization models.

It is worth noting that Title II would also allow the FCC to regulate the rate of Internet lines, and require broadband providers to offer wholesale access of their networks to smaller competitors.

The original proposal, which was announced in late April, resulted in a huge public outcry with everyone from technology giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook, to top technology investors, celebrities and even US senators coming out strongly against it.

Following this FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler had to revise the proposal to include assurances that the agency will not allow ISPs to segregate Internet traffic into fast and slow lanes. Just yesterday the agency reaffirmed that it's still considering treating broadband providers like utilities companies.

The new draft will be voted on by the four other FCC commissioners at the agency's open meeting on Thursday, after which it'll be made public.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/56755-top-isps-warn-fcc-against-adopting-more-regulations-broadband-lines.html

 

[Guest]

We originally call the internet the Information Superhighway and really it is like an Interstate/Intercountry road system. It's a path that allows you to connect or get to different places. Let's see, the old phone system, power grid, interstate highways are all like that and all regulated to some degree. Why; Because when a system encompasses large regions we want it to work for the greatest good for all. To prevent abuse and control we as a society regulate it. The internet is the same thing and should be treated as a utility, since that what it is and this act will help the many, instead of just a few.

 

[wastedkill]

You gotta learn the difference between paying for a package and being ripped off, paying for a package means buying 10Gbps Lines and getting whatever bandwidth the ISP has with that package, being ripped off is buying 10Gbps Lines and Comcast forcing you to pay more or be throttled down to 100Mbps.

Come on FCC tell the ISP's to stop ripping people off or be fined 400% of their annual revenue!

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Best answer? More competition. Today I can have only one ISP if I want broadband. ADSL is not available at anything approaching real broadband speed and satellite faces this bottleneck for uploads and has latency issues.

Without competition, this is probably best managed as a utility.

 

[Resp1ra]

If what they say is true shouldn't we have really bitchin internet here in the states and not some of the slowest internet in the world. I see it as they get true free trade where we as a customer can choose which service we want, or we get ISPs reclassified. ISPs cant or dont want to accept real free trade but they also dont want to be reclassified and maintain their monopoly. That makes no sense to me considering economically utilities out preform every other free trade market, so going forward with reclassification would benefit them economically, but not without more rules they must follow.

 

[Guest]

"One nation under god" really needs to get its house in order - communications such as the Internet are relevant to all states and as such should only ever be ruled at Federal Level, if not higher (World Trade Organisation?). The Feds should start on the basis of "We the People..." and not "We the big business...." so that a single legislature and judge should be barred from ruling in matters that impact the global community (.....remembering that global extends beyond the Pacific and Atlantic coast line).

 

[Burty117]

The way I see it from that letter, always do the opposite of what the ISP's in America want, that way your probably doing the right thing xD

 

[h4expo]

I did not vote any of those ISP's to represent me, and even from the first few lines of that letter I feel misrepresented. However neither do I agree with a micromanaging government either. Last I checked the US ranks some 10'th or 15'th among the worlds highest average bandwidth per subscriber. Gloating about all the investment and growth is sort of a moot point.

 

[Paul Deemer]

While Europe and China offer some of the Fastest Internet Speeds in the World, America is lagging way behind! It doesn't have to be this way but the ISPs won't upgrade their infrastructure and they throttle that last mile to your house. We will only see improvement with more competition so lets break up the biggest Internet companies like we did to the Ma Bell's and the Oil Industry. Big Banks should be Next! If nobody takes action on this then America will continue to fall behind the rest of the world. It used to be America wanted to be the leaders on tech innovation and science. But today the Republican Party and Corporate America seem content to let America spiral down to third world country status through deregulation and allowing our infrastructure to crumble and become obsolete.