The US telecommunications industry is opposing the country’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plan to reinstate historic net neutrality rules repealed in 2017 by former President Donald Trump.
Net neutrality rules prevent Internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic or offering paid fast lanes.
USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter of the group, whose members include carriers AT&T and Verizon as well as SpaceX and other companies, called the effort “completely counterproductive, unnecessary and an anti-consumer regulatory distraction.”
The U.S. Internet and Television Association (NCTA), which represents the country’s major Internet service providers, including Comcast, said the plan “will seriously harm our nation’s collective efforts to build and maintain reliable broadband in rural communities and not served” and said it will result in “Years of Litigation and Uncertainty.”
Reuters first reported the FCC’s intention to vote on the plan on April 25. The commission wants to take on new regulatory oversight of broadband internet that was rescinded under Trump, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told Reuters on Tuesday. Rolling back the rules has been a priority for Democratic President Joe Biden.
The Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Amazon.com, Apple, Alphabet and Meta, supported reinstating the rules in December, arguing that they “must be reinstated to preserve free access to the Internet.”
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday that net neutrality rules “will raise prices, crowd out innovation, hurt broadband development and benefit no one except Biden’s overbearing FCC in its endless efforts to control the Internet.” .
Democratic Senator Ed Markey said restoring “net neutrality protections is vital to protecting the free and open Internet and ensuring the FCC has authority over broadband.”
Source: Terra
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