U.S. Senate Vote Approves Resolution To Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules. FCC Chairman Pai Repeats Claims While Ignoring Consumers

Yesterday, the United States Senate approved a bipartisan resolution to preserve net neutrality rules, the set of internet protections established in 2015 which require wireless and internet service providers (ISPs) to provide customers with access to all websites, and equal access to all websites. That meant no throttling, blocking, slow-downs of selected sites, nor prioritizing internet traffic in "fast" or "slow" lanes.

Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that current net neutrality rules would expire on June 11, 2018. Politicians promised that tax cuts will create new jobs, and that repeal of net neutrality rules would encourage investments by ISPs. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, appointed by President Trump, released a statement on May 10, 2018:

"Now, on June 11, these unnecessary and harmful Internet regulations will be repealed and the bipartisan, light-touch approach that served the online world well for nearly 20 years will be restored. The Federal Trade Commission will once again be empowered to target any unfair or deceptive business practices of Internet service providers and to protect American’s broadband privacy. Armed with our strengthened transparency rule, we look forward to working closely with the FTC to safeguard a free and open Internet. On June 11, we will have a framework in place that encourages innovation and investment in our nation’s networks so that all Americans, no matter where they live, can have access to better, cheaper, and faster Internet access and the jobs, opportunities, and platform for free expression that it provides. And we will embrace a modern, forward-looking approach that will help the United States lead the world in 5G..."

Chairman Pai's claims sound hollow, since reality says otherwise. Telecommunications companies have fired workers and reduced staff despite getting tax cuts, broadband privacy repeal, and net neutrality repeal. In December, more than 1,000 startups and investors signed an open letter to Pai opposing the elimination of net neutrality. Entrepreneurs and executives are concerned that the loss of net neutrality will harm or hinder start-up businesses.

CNet provided a good overview of events surrounding the Senate's resolution:

"Democrats are using the Congressional Review Act to try to halt the FCC's December repeal of net neutrality. The law gives Congress 60 legislative days to undo regulations imposed by a federal agency. What's needed to roll back the FCC action are simple majorities in both the House and Senate, as well as the president's signature. Senator Ed Markey (Democrat, Massachusetts), who's leading the fight in the Senate to preserve the rules, last week filed a so-called discharge petition, a key step in this legislative effort... Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers and broadband lobbyists argue the existing rules hurt investment and will stifle innovation. They say efforts by Democrats to stop the FCC's repeal of the rules do nothing to protect consumers. All 49 Democrats in the Senate support the effort to undo the FCC's vote. One Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, also supports the measure. One more Republican is needed to cross party lines to pass it."

"No touch" is probably a more accurate description of the internet under Chairman Pai's leadership, given many historical problems and abuses of consumers by some ISPs. The loss of net neutrality protections will likely result in huge price increases for internet access for consumers, which will also hurt public libraries, the poor, and disabled users. The loss of net neutrality will allow ISPs the freedom to carve up, throttle, block, and slow down the internet traffic they choose, while consumers will lose the freedom to use as they choose the broadband service they've paid for. And, don't forget the startup concerns above.

After the Senate's vote, FCC Chairman Pai released this statement:

“The Internet was free and open before 2015, when the prior FCC buckled to political pressure from the White House and imposed utility-style regulation on the Internet. And it will continue to be free and open once the Restoring Internet Freedom Order takes effect on June 11... our light-touch approach will deliver better, faster, and cheaper Internet access and more broadband competition to the American people—something that millions of consumers desperately want and something that should be a top priority. The prior Administration’s regulatory overreach took us in the opposite direction, reducing investment in broadband networks and particularly harming small Internet service providers in rural and lower-income areas..."

The internet was free and open before 2015? Mr. Pai is guilty of revisionist history. The lack of ISP competition in key markets meant consumers in the United States pay more for broadband and get slower speeds compared to other countries. There were numerous complaints by consumers about usage-based Internet pricing. There were privacy abuses and settlement agreements by ISPs involving technologies such as deep-packet inspection and 'Supercookies' to track customers online, despite consumers' wishes not to be tracked. Many consumers didn't get the broadband speeds ISP promised. Some consumers sued their ISPs, and the New York State Attorney General had residents  check their broadband speed with this tool.

Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the internet, cited three reasons why the Internet is in trouble. His number one reason: consumers had lost control of their personal information. The loss of privacy meant consumers lost control over their personal information.

There's more. Some consumers found that their ISP hijacked their online search results without notice nor consent. An ISP in Kansas admitted in 2008 to secret snooping after pressure from Congress. Given this, something had to be done. The FCC stepped up to the plate and acted when it was legally able to; and reclassified broadband after open hearings. Proposed rules were circulated prior to adoption. It was done in the open.

Yet, Chairman Pai would have us now believe the internet was free and open before 2015; and that regulatory was unnecessary. I say BS.

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel released a statement yesterday:

"Today the United States Senate took a big step to fix the serious mess the FCC made when it rolled back net neutrality late last year. The FCC's net neutrality repeal gave broadband providers extraordinary new powers to block websites, throttle services and play favorites when it comes to online content. This put the FCC on the wrong side of history, the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of the American people. Today’s vote is a sign that the fight for internet freedom is far from over. I’ll keep raising a ruckus to support net neutrality and I hope others will too."

A mess, indeed, created by Chairman Pai. A December 2017 study of 1,077 voters found that most want net neutrality protections:

Do you favor or oppose the proposal to give ISPs the freedom to: a) provide websites the option to give their visitors the ability to download material at a higher speed, for a fee, while providing a slower speed for other websites; b) block access to certain websites; and c) charge their customers an extra fee to gain access to certain websites?
Group	Favor	Opposed	Refused/Don't Know
National	15.5%	82.9%	1.6%
Republicans	21.0%	75.4%	3.6%
Democrats	11.0%	88.5%	0.5%
Independents	14.0%	85.9%	0.1%

Why did the FCC, President Trump, and most GOP politicians pursue the elimination of net neutrality protections despite consumers wishes otherwise? For the same reasons they repealed broadband privacy protections despite most consumers wanting broadband privacy. (Remember, President Trump signed the privacy-rollback legislation in April 2017.) They are doing the bidding of the corporate ISPs at the expense of consumers. Profits before people. Whenever Mr. Pai mentions a "free and open internet," he's referring to corporate ISPs and not consumers. What do you think?