Wednesday, May 31, 2017

On May 18, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States government approved a “Notice of proposed rulemaking” to restore “Internet freedom” by reclassifying broadband Internet service as an “information service,” terminating FCC regulation of broadband (high speed Internet) as Title II “common carriers.”

The arguments for the reclassification were summarized by claims from Chairman Pai and Commissioner O’Rielly that the US has fallen behind in Internet deployment since the 2015 net neutrality decision, because broadband providers have less financial incentive to invest in upgrades and extensions. Data to support these claims are not easily available, and their interpretation is controversial.

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