FCC To Hit Reset On Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission said it will propose rules on Thursday that could give high-speed Internet providers more power on what content moves the fastest on the Web based on which firms pay the most.

According to WaPo, the move could dramatically reshape the Web experiences of consumers, where videos for ESPN.com, Facebook or YouTube might be delivered more smoothly because of payments to broadband providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon. The streaming videos of a smaller competitor could be halted with buffering and low-quality images if those firms aren't able to pay ISPs access to faster Internet lanes into American homes.

In a proposal to be voted on May 15, the chairman of the FCC said new so-called net neutrality rules would prohibit broadband providers from straight out blocking sites and slowing down content in an anticompetitive manner. In a press briefing Thursday, the FCC is expected to outline criteria for its determination of unfair and anticompetitive business practices.

The move represents a retreat from the agency's position in past years on the net neutrality principle, in which Internet providers must treat all web content equally.

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