FCC to Decide on 'Net Neutrality' Thursday

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote this Thursday on "Net Neutrality," otherwise known as "Open Internet Rules" - the capability for total openness of the Internet to high-speed traffic from all legal sources without any limitations. Technology in broadband, wired and wireless will all be affected.

FCC discussions on this issue have been going on for about three years, so the long-awaited vote has created both eager anticipation and hysteria. Internet markets, certain media outlets, government expansion watchdog groups and Congress have weighed in on both sides.

Pros & Cons:

A cnet Report leads to a letter that was sent to the FCC in support of Net Neutrality by numerous influential internet companies including Amazon, Google, Mozilla, Twitter and YouTube. The companies site advantages like the ability to create new internet resources and healthy competition. Readers can view the entire letter here.

Adversely, there is speculation in an MSNBC report that the vote is being rushed by the new administration; and citing that there are voices on both sides of Congress who feel the government hasn't proven a need for more regulation yet. (Side note: Comcast did get in trouble last year for limiting access to certain services, but that case is not yet settled.)

Other critics fear that FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's claims of this "not [being] about government regulation," yet stating during the same Brookings Institute speech that the FCC will "establish rules of the road" could actually lead to more government regulation. The fact that the FCC will need to ensure that everyone's allowed equal traffic could be:
- a government invasion in itself; or
- a drawback for more people or smaller companies to invest due to a high cost for implementation, thereby giving an uneven playing field back to only the powerhouse companies.

On Monday night 10/19, Glenn Beck began a week-long series on his FOX-TV show thinking ahead to what the FCC "Net Neutrality" could mean to the entire issue of Freedom of Speech, should the vote go the way of including a Fairness Doctrine-type demand that stretches to Internet Radio and demands equal time on all stations for opposing viewpoints.

Since about 2003, High-speed internet access connections in the U.S. have gone from 4 million to more than 50 million. FCC Chairman Genachowski wants a neutrality plan by 2010.

Genachowski was nominated by President Obama for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, was confirmed, and took office in June, 2009. He is a magna cum laude Harvard graduate with a long public service record. See his full Bio here. Genachowski's background does not appear as controversial as does his co-worker's, Mark Lloyd, a fervent supporter of the Fairness Doctrine, which policy experts and pundits say is anything but fair in its philosophy and may be another tool that far left Democrats are influencing the FCC to implement.

Sources:

Comcast problems, Washington Post

cnet Reports here and here.

Internet Coalition Letter supporting FCC

MSNBC Report

Glenn Beck, 5 p.m., Mon., 10/19/09.

Genachowski's 9/21/09 Speech at Brookings Institute

Genachowski's Biography