FCC's Tom Wheeler Confirms Net Neutrality Vote Timetable

Tom Wheeler

After months of tense debate the Federal Communications Commission will vote on net neutrality -- a set of proposed rules intended to ensure equal Internet access speeds for all websites -- on Feb. 26, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said on Wednesday at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to USNews.

"We're going to circulate it to the commissioners on February 5th and vote on it February 26th," Wheeler said during an on-stage conversation with Gary Shapiro, chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association.

Wheeler also hinted during the convention that the final version of the proposed rules will enforce net neutrality by using some of the regulatory power the FCC claims over phone companies through Title II of the Communications Act. But he declined to go into detail.

"You'll notice that I have not addressed any of the specifics," Wheeler said. "You have to wait until February to see the specifics."

The debate over net neutrality sparked months of scrutiny from both consumer protection advocates and telecom lobbying groups, who were each concerned for different reasons that the new programs would damage innovation online. Consumer advocacy groups like Public Knowledge and Democrats including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont have argued that enabling providers to charge for faster Internet speeds would disadvantage websites that could not afford the fees.