The Net Neutrality Pendulum Is Swinging Away From ISPs

It looks as if the first network neutrality battle of 2015 will be fought next month, and the supporters of Title II are poised for victory.  According to Bloomberg, the FCC is signaling that Obama’s call for Title II will be successful when February’s vote happens, at least in the short- and mid-term. 

Public advocates are optimistic, while ISPs now seem to be shifting toward lessening the impact by getting the FCC to agree in advance to keep regulations light.  Of course, all the while opponents of every stripe are warning that anything touched by Title II will wither and die, starved for investments carrier won’t make.

Will it?  Or is that just the sort of hyperbole both sides throw around so much in this ‘debate’?  Given the political situation, there will be about a two year window to find out.

Even if Congress takes a break from its never-ending tantrum party to pass legislation to counter the FCC, Obama will just veto it and he’ll be able to stand in the breech for another 24 months.  Someone will surely take the new rules to court, but that will take even a year or two more to play out than the next presidential election.

So if the pendulum has in fact  swung away from the service providers when it comes to net neutrality, it will likely be a while before it has a chance to swing back.  In the meantime, supporters of Title II’s application to the internet may be about to get a chance to prove their case.

 

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Categories: Government Regulations