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<\/a>The U.S. Senate has voted to overturn the FCC and restore net neutrality protections, the fate of that measure currently rests in the House of Representatives.<\/p><\/div>\n
On Dec. 14, 2017, the five commissioners of the FCC, the U.S.\u2019s top media watchdog, voted three-to-two to end rules preventing internet service providers (ISPs) from charging or blocking websites that offer products or services that may compete with their own.<\/p>\n
The concept of \u2018internet neutrality\u2019 has been a running debate for years yet it was enshrined in U.S. law under Barack Obama in 2015, meaning that information could flow freely over the web without interference or additional costs imposed by ISPs and creating a level playing field for startups and entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
Now, following the FCC ruling, ISPs could begin to charge individuals and institutions for access to content.<\/p>\n
Protest and opportunity<\/h2>\n
Supporters of net neutrality say that the openness of the internet has been key to its rapid development and allowed innovative firms like Skype and Netflix to compete with telecoms providers and traditional media giants alike.<\/p>\n
\u201cISPs probably won\u2019t immediately begin blocking content outright, given the uproar that this would provoke,\u201d Michael Cheah, General Counsel for the video sharing platform Vimeo, <\/span>was quoted<\/span><\/a> as saying by The Guardian last week. \u201cWhat\u2019s more likely is a transition to a pay-for-play business model that will ultimately stifle startups and innovation, and lead to higher prices and less choice for consumers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Yet cable companies, who are the actors mostly likely to benefit from the changes, have attempted to play down the impact.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not the end of net neutrality,\u201d wrote David Cohen, senior executive vice-president of Comcast, <\/span>on his blog<\/span><\/a> ahead of the decision by the FCC. \u201cDespite repeated distortions and biased information, our internet service is not going to change. Comcast customers will continue to enjoy all of the benefits of an open internet today, tomorrow, and in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Opponents, including Democrats and several leading internet giants, such as Netflix, Spotify, and Wikipedia are looking to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the FCC\u2019s decision, which promises for an interesting debate ahead, yet many industry experts believe that the doom-mongering is exaggerated and that customer preference will ultimately win out.<\/p>\n