Two FCC Commissioners Flip-Flop On Net Neutrality

Mignon Clyburn

FCC commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn have called for stronger network neutrality rules than the ones fellow Democrat and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has thus far supported, according to arstechnica.com.

In a speech Wednesday at a congressional forum on net neutrality, Rosenworcel said, "we cannot have a two-tiered Internet with fast lanes that speed the traffic of the privileged and leave the rest of us lagging behind."

The FCC's tentative proposal approved in May would not prevent Internet service providers from charging Web services for priority access to consumers over the network's last mile, but it asked the public for comments on whether the commission should impose stricter or weaker rules. A total of 3.7 million comments poured in, mostly in favor of stronger restrictions on how ISPs treat Internet traffic.

Jessica Rosenworcel

The FCC's tentative net neutrality vote in May was 3-2, with Republican commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly dissenting. Final rules could again come down to what the three Democratic commissioners want, but chairman Wheeler hasn't revealed his plans.

Stronger rules could require reclassifying broadband as a utility, opening Internet providers up to regulations similar to those placed on telephone providers under Title II of the Communications Act.

Clyburn also spoke at the forum, saying the commission should apply similar rules to fixed broadband and cellular service. The FCC's tentative rules on blocking and traffic discrimination would impose weaker restrictions on cellular data than fixed broadband.

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