FCC Votes To Consider Next Round of 'Net Neutrality' Rules

As you may have watched live earlier today, the FCC in a protester-heavy hearing has voted to formally consider a net neutrality proposal. The linked L.A. Times story says the 3-2 vote of the commissioners represents a victory for FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: 'A Democrat who took over in November, Wheeler triggered outrage among public interest groups, online activists and many liberals with a plan that would for the first time allow the possibility of so-called pay-for-priority deals. Wheeler said his plan has been misconstrued and that it would not allow broadband providers to block any legal content or slow down connections in a way that is commercially unreasonable.' As the Washington Post points out, the phrase "commercially unreasonable" is a loaded one. More good coverage at Ars Technica, too.

The Democrats killed Net Neutrality !!

[Anonymous Coward]

I have watched the whole thing and I anticipated that the proposal would have been passed since commercial interests often outweigh public interest - Money does talk after all, especially in America.

But I thought that the Republicans would voted for killing the Net Neutrality, how wrong I was !

It turns out that all three (3) commissioners who voted for killing Net Neutrality turns out to be DEMOCRATS !!

I owe an apology to all the Republicans and I hereby sincerely apologize for doubting you guys !!

As for the Democrats, FUCK YOU !!

What the ISPs will hear

[mfh]

The big vile ISPs are notorious for not listening. Rules will exist meant to ensure that everyone has a fair business model for ISPs and then the big guys will keep looking at the model to squeeze more and more money out of it because fair business isn't enough for those guys... they have to squeeze every last nickel out.

What we need is a global competitor to big ISPs that can deploy anywhere. Google could be that new hope, but so could a DIY off-grid group. Google's baloon experiment [google.com] could be what we need but it doesn't have to stop there and also it is important to note that Google's closeness to NSA is problematic.

There are other better answers [slashdot.org] to big ISP. Teleporation could destroy the ISP business model and place the power directly in the hands of each individual. No more government spying. No more ISP bullshit.

Re:This is dismaying

[gstoddart]

Wheeler is hardly "technology illiterate". He was a lobbyist for cable companies!

Wait ... what?

Is being technology literate a requirement to be a lobbyist for the cable companies? Or is willingness to follow the official line and recite buzzwords more important? It seems like a lawyer with good connections is a more effective lobbyist than someone with a technology background. God knows the people they're lobbying don't know anything about the technology.

Steve Ballmer isn't someone I'd consider to be overly technology literate. I've certainly known software sales people who aren't technology literate. And I've even known a couple of managers in either software or IT who I wouldn't consider technology literate. Those MBAs I've encountered making business decisions in technology companies, sure as hell weren't technology literate.

I'm not disputing that, as a former cable lobbyist, he was always going to be someone who came down on their side and you can pretty much say he's not looking at this from any other position than what's good for cable companies.

But, without knowing his technology background and actual level of knowledge ... I'm still not prepared to rule out stupidity. Not even a little.

Eliminate the FCC

[bigpat]

At this point I think we need to just go ahead and eliminate the FCC and Congress needs to legislate these regulations directly. We are beyond the point of just needing to play some BS game of musical chairmen to appoint another industry lobbyist to regulate their own industry. From no longer licensing new radio stations to this idiotic spin the wheels and do whatever you want as long as you hire the right lawyers as lobbyists kind of bullshit regulation the FCC is a farce

Re:The Democrats killed Net Neutrality !!

[Jaysyn]

The (R)s voted no because Wheeler's proposal didn't go as far as they wanted in the dismantling of Net Neutrality.

Re:The Democrats killed Net Neutrality !!

[Shadow99_1]

The republicans actually said no because they insisted it was congresses place to handle the matter and wanted less stringent rules that what wheeler was proposing. It was a matter of three saying 'this is enough for now' and the other two saying 'this is not nearly enough to help or telecomm overlords'. So don't go congratulate the republicans on their sense.

This was not a partisan fight as some sources make it sounds. It was both sides wanted to help their 'friends' and screwing over the american people along the way.