Pai Seeks Vote on Net Neutrality at Final Meeting Before Election
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC will take up an order at the Oct. 27 commissioners’ meeting addressing the points raised by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on the agency’s order largely overturning the 2015 rules.
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The new, draft order “affirms that the FCC stands by the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, consistent with the practical reality consumers have experienced since December 2017 of an Internet economy that is better, stronger, and freer than ever,” Pai blogged Monday. Don’t be fooled by hyperbole, Pai said. In 2017, “numerous Washington politicians, far-left special-interest groups, Hollywood stars, and Silicon Valley tech giants, as well as many in the media, tried to scare the American people about what would happen once the FCC adopted” the order, he said: “The American people were told that they would get the Internet one word at a time. They were told that they would have to pay $5 per tweet. They were told that it would be the end of the Internet as we know it. It was frightening stuff to be sure, but it was utter nonsense.”
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel slammed the move. “This is crazy,” she said: “The internet should be open and available for all. That’s what net neutrality is about. It’s why people from across this country rose up to voice their frustration and anger” when the FCC “decided to ignore their wishes and roll back net neutrality. Now the courts have asked us for a do-over,” she said: “Instead of taking this opportunity to right what this agency got wrong, we are going to double down on our mistake.”
Several other items are on this next meeting's tentative agenda, many as expected. They include items on 5G USF, wireless collocation, telecom data unbundling, TV white spaces devices, AM revitalization/all-digital AM and audio description. Tonight's Communications Daily will have more details.