Net neutrality has been repealed. Here’s what this means for you.
Most likely, higher prices
Thursday morning was a pivotal moment for the broadband industry. The FCC voted in favor of dismantling the rules and regulations the agency had just put in place two years ago.
Here’s a brief explanation of what net neutrality is, why it was repealed and how Thursday’s vote might affect our pocket and the Internet as we know it.
What is net neutrality?
Under the Obama administration, the Federal Communications Commission chairman at the time, Tom Wheeler, implemented strong rules to prevent Internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T and Comcast from discriminating in how they provide Internet services to people. The idea was to keep the Internet open and fair.
This meant that service providers had to treat all content the same. They couldn’t slow down service from certain websites or apps they didn’t like or charge other companies for speedier delivery of their content to consumers.
Big and small companies had to be treated equally by Internet providers.
“To take a classic example, this means Comcast can’t just choose to slow down a service like Netflix (NFLX) to make its own streaming video service more competitive, nor can it try to squeeze Netflix to pay more money to be part of a so-called Internet fast lane,” writes Seth Fiegerman, tech writer for CNNTech.
Supporters of net neutrality
- Large content providers like Google, Netflix, Twitter and Amazon (The Lily is part of The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos.)
- Start-ups and tech firms like Airbnb, Foursquare and Etsy
- 83 percent of Americans, according to a recent survey
Opponents of net neutrality
- Current FCC chairman Ajit Pai
- Internet providers like Verizon and Comcast
Why net neutrality was repealed
In January 2017, President Trump named Ajit Pai, a Republican, as FCC Chairman.
Pai led efforts to dismantle the 2015 net neutrality rules, claiming that this would help end the federal government’s micromanaging of the Internet.
“Prior to 2015, before these regulations were imposed, we had a free and open internet,” Pai told NBC News. “That is the future as well under a light touch, market-based approach. Consumers benefit, entrepreneurs benefit. Everybody in the internet economy is better off with a market based approach.”
On Thursday, net neutrality made its way to the chopping block, where the FCC repealed it in a 3–2 vote.
What happens next?
The fight over net neutrality regulations will likely continue in the courts. Advocates of net neutrality will probably keep challenging the FCC’s decision.
How this repeal might affect businesses and consumers
Internet service providers keep trying to reassure consumers by saying they won’t throttle content. However, here’s what could happen.
Businesses:
- Washington Post reporter Brian Fung says it’s possible Verizon could favor its own Yahoo and AOL by blocking or slowing down Google.
- It’s also possible Verizon would charge Google more fees to connect to Verizon customers.
Consumers:
- Pricing models will likely change. (Some experts predict consumers will pay more.) Consumers will have to probably pay more attention to the fine print of their provider plans.
- “Some analysts say affected content companies could pass any new network costs to Internet users, and that Internet providers will develop new ways to market Internet service that could lead to higher prices,” writes Fung.
