U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel is planning to reinstate net neutrality rules that were removed during the Trump administration, according to sources briefed on the matter. This move comes as Democrats take control of the five-member FCC for the first time since President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The FCC is expected to vote on the net neutrality proposal in October.
Net neutrality is the principle that all internet traffic should be treated equally, without any discrimination or preferential treatment by internet service providers. The rules, initially adopted under former President Barack Obama in 2015, prohibited ISPs from blocking or throttling internet traffic or offering paid fast lanes. However, in 2017, the FCC, under then-Chair Ajit Pai, reversed these rules.
The reversal faced widespread criticism, with Rosenworcel, who was an FCC commissioner at the time, denouncing it as being on “the wrong side of history, the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of the American public.” Now, with Rosenworcel as FCC Chair, there is hope that the rules will be reinstated.
President Biden has also shown support for net neutrality, signing an executive order in July that encouraged the FCC to restore the rules. Additionally, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2022 that the FCC’s 2017 decision to reverse federal net neutrality protections could not prevent state-level actions. This ruling allowed California’s net neutrality law to stand, despite challenges from industry groups.
Rosenworcel is expected to deliver a speech on Tuesday outlining her plans to reinstate net neutrality rules. The effort to restore these regulations is seen as a significant step in ensuring a free and open internet for all users.