FCC’s Net Neutrality Vote Impacts Your Internet Speeds, Explained

The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to reinstate rules repealed in 2017 that would have prevented internet service providers from disrupting internet speeds.

The 3-2 party-line vote restores net neutrality — a policy that ensures your internet service provider won’t block or slow down legitimate traffic or charge more to deliver certain content faster.

The commission voted 3-2 in October to approve a proposal that would restore net neutrality rules and reassign it to broadband regulatory oversight that was stripped by former President Donald Trump.

According to Reuters, the FCC also said it will use its new powers to order the U.S. operations of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile to stop providing broadband internet services in the United States.

Reuters reported that Chinese carriers must stop providing services within 60 days from the date the order takes effect.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel noted that the commission has taken similar actions against Chinese telecom companies in the past using existing powers, Reuters reported.

What did FCC commissioners say before the vote?

The pandemic — and how consumers use the internet for school, work and health — has made it clear that connecting with the world requires a broadband connection, Rosenworcel said Thursday in her speech ahead of the vote.

“It’s become clear that no matter who you are or where you live, you need broadband internet access to have a fair chance at success in the digital age,” she said. “It’s gone from a nice-to-have to a necessity for everyone, everywhere. Broadband internet access is now an essential service, and essential services are the ones we count on in every aspect of modern life to have some basic oversight.”

FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna M. Gomez voted with Rosenworcel to approve the rule.

“Some will, no doubt, argue that this is all a government conspiracy to control the internet. But let’s be realistic,” Starks said in his speech. “This is about empowering consumers to control their internet experience while ensuring that a provider doesn’t hamper or prioritize certain content.”

Gomez, who also repeated her remarks in Spanish, said the action would provide protection for all consumers, “but especially those communities that have historically been left on the wrong side of the digital divide.”

FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington filed dissenting votes.

In his speech before the vote, Carr said the internet in America was flourishing “in the absence” of government regulation.

Carr questioned whether internet service providers (ISPs) would continue to invest following the new rules, saying investment in broadband slowed after 2015 but increased in 2017 after they were repealed.

“I am confident that we will remedy the situation and that the courts will invalidate this unlawful government grab,” Carr said.

Net neutrality was Biden’s priority

Restoring those rules has become a priority for President Joe Biden, who in July 2021 signed an executive order calling on the FCC to restore the net neutrality rules put in place by President Barack Obama, Reuters reports.

Democrats were unable to make these changes because they did not have a majority on the five-member FCC, but that balance changed in October, Reuters reported.

Under the Trump administration, the commission argued that net neutrality rules stifle innovation and discourage internet service providers from investing in the network.

What is net neutrality?

Net neutrality is the belief that an Internet service provider, or ISP, should provide all consumers with fair and equal access to legal content and applications. Providers should not favor some or block others. They should also not charge content providers for faster delivery of their content in the “fast lanes” or intentionally slow down content from content providers that compete with ISPs.

A few years ago, this thorny issue became the subject of John Oliver’s popular show “Last Week Tonight,” in which he urged people to visit the FCC website and voice their opinions on the issue, prompting millions of comments.

When was net neutrality repealed?

The net neutrality rule was repealed in December 2017.

At the time, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said repealing the law would help more Americans get access to high-speed internet because companies would be able to spend more to build networks “without having to rely on heavy regulation,” leading to the creation of new jobs.

Advantages and disadvantages of net neutrality

The FCC says consumers benefit from a number of things: openness sets ground rules for internet service providers to ensure they don’t block legal content, throttle speeds or create “fast lanes” for people who can pay for it.

The reclassification of broadband Internet access under Title II allows the FCC to apply cybersecurity standards and will require Internet service providers (ISPs) to notify the FCC and consumers of Internet service outages.

Proponents and experts also argue that net neutrality benefits consumers.

AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond praised Thursday’s decision. “The rule will protect consumers online by helping to prevent online fraud and scams while protecting privacy and access to content,” she said in an emailed statement.

Net neutrality protects consumers from internet service providers controlling what you see, Chris Lewis, president and CEO of Public Knowledge, previously told USA TODAY. “Broadband internet access is an essential communication tool, so we need fair rules.”

Can net neutrality rules affect prices?

Probably.

Lewis cites the example of streaming services that create their own websites and apps to access the internet and reach consumers. While these sites already pay for internet access, broadband providers want to charge an additional user fee that is passed on to consumers, he said.

“With net neutrality, this fee is prohibited. The savings are indirect, but they are real,” he said.

Is net neutrality important for internet infrastructure?

Mallory Knodel, chief technology officer at the Center for Democracy and Technology, told USA TODAY that old broadband cables need replacing and internet service providers are not doing a good job of maintaining and expanding infrastructure equitably.

This, she said, has led to a “dirt road effect” whereby low-income subscribers receive lower-priority traffic or non-functional internet.

Can net neutrality help when broadband infrastructure requires a lot of work?

“Only in the abstract,” Knodel said. “If net neutrality prevents them from profiting from preferential treatment and innovation in traffic shaping, then perhaps it follows that they will put their efforts elsewhere, namely in maintaining and expanding the network. In any case, the latter option brings much greater benefits to consumers.”

The Case Against Net Neutrality

According to Reuters, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which includes Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Meta Platforms, supports net neutrality. It has previously said that “the policy must be reinstated to preserve open access to the internet.”

Meanwhile, USTelecom, whose members include AT&T and Verizon, said the reinstatement of net neutrality is “completely counterproductive, unnecessary, and an anti-consumer regulatory distraction,” Reuters reported.

In 2018, Verizon was accused of throttling unlimited data in Santa Clara County during the Mendocino wildfires, preventing them from coordinating until they could switch to a pricey service plan. That led to a lawsuit showing the effects of the FCC repealing net neutrality rules.

While browsing: What is a good internet speed?

At the time, a Verizon spokesperson told USA TODAY that the issue was not related to the net neutrality lawsuit but was a customer service error. Verizon has a practice of lifting data caps in emergency situations.

As Reuters reports, more than a dozen states have their own net neutrality laws or regulations, despite a 2017 decision to roll back the federal requirement. Industry groups withdrew legal challenges to the state requirements in May 2022.

Collaborators: Reuters

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up here for our free The Daily Money newsletter, where we’ll be posting consumer news on Fridays.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FCC’s net neutrality vote affects your internet speed: We explain