FCC releases Net Neutrality summary, new buzzwords: Limited openness and unreasonable interference

The FCC on Thursday released the Internet regulations the agency voted to adopt two weeks ago. The agency’s 313-page Open Internet Order is accompanied by an additional 70-plus pages of individual statements by the five commissioners, two of whom dissented in the vote to adopt the new regulations, writes the Daily Caller.

Net Neutrality will allow the FCC the power to regulate Internet service providers (ISPs) under a modernized interpretation of Title II of the 1996 Telecommunications Act , the regulatory proposal inspired by those used to break up telephone monopolies in the 1930s.

photo Anonymous9000 via Flickr

Supporters will point to this statement and call for free Internet for all: “America needs more broadband, better broadband, and open broadband networks. These goals are mutually reinforcing, not mutually exclusive. Without an open Internet, there would be less broadband investment and deployment” on page 6.

There is a ban on “Blocking, throttling and paid prioritization” which is intended to prevent companies from charging for higher speeds and access to certain content.

In contrast, the new net neutrality rules won’t apply to restaurants, airlines, libraries or other companies that offer free Wi-Fi service to customers. So they’ll still be able to block you from checking out various websites or apps while you’re using their Internet access.

Consumers need to know that not everything “free” is a good idea to the FCC, like T-Mobile’s Music Freedom plan, which doesn’t count against the customer’s data plan, may not automatically violate the rules, but they do suggest that they’re going to take a hard look at them if they get complaints.

The rules say there will be no new federal USF fees on broadband service because of these rules; states won’t be able to charge them either.

“Limited openness” and “unreasonable interference” are the new buzzwords where the FCC is basically taking the power away from the companies regarding the content.

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, who voted against the net neutrality rules last week, said last month that if the U.S. government tried to regulate the Internet, “it becomes a lot more difficult for us to go on the international stage and tell governments: ‘Look, we want you to keep your hands off the Internet.’ ”

Professor Robert McChesney, has been a leader in promoting “net neutrality,” and his goal as he stated to SocialistProject is, “At the moment, the battle over network neutrality is not to completely eliminate the telephone and cable companies. But the ultimate goal is to get rid of the media capitalists in the phone and cable companies and to divest them from control.”

McChesney added: “Our job is to make media reform part of our broader struggle for democracy, social justice, and, dare we say it, socialism.”

This Newsweek cover caused a stir over socialism, but the new rhetoric may be even scarier