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12/22/2024 12:20:45 pm

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FCC Publicizes Net Neutrality Laws

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(Photo : Reuters) The FCC might have hurt their case by not disclosing price hikes for broadband.

The Federal Communications Commission has released its 313-page revised laws for net neutrality and high-speed internet service providers, two weeks after the vote to bring net neutrality to the United States.

Most of the document works for internet and consumer advocates, who have been fighting for years to bring an end to the growing pressure from internet service providers on internet content creators.

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The news rules outlaw throttling, paid prioritization and any other forms of content labelling. Each packet on the internet must be regarded the same, regardless of company, size or destination.

The FCC will gain new power over the internet at large, acting as the sort-of referee for decisions and cases. High-speed internet providers will be moved from an information service to a telecommunications service, putting it under Title II "common carrier" law.

Critics on the new proposal claim reclassification and government control will hinder internet growth, but most internet users want the FCC to protect the future of the internet through broadband regulation.

Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and other internet service providers have already drafted their court cases against the FCC and several analysts expect the court cases to go on throughout the next few years.

Even with the massive climb still ahead, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is confident his commission is on the right path, and will be able to beat away these broadband court cases.

The FCC might face trouble convincing its sister commission, the Federal Trade Commission, that it should step in as the referee. The FTC has long been the one to focus on "policing" the internet and adding regulations, this new move by the FCC might be questioned in Congress as a move to dilute the FTC.

Some believe the FCC will not be able to handle the cases in an orderly time as well, considering it has not asked for a rise in its budget next year.

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