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    CES Watch: FCC’s Tom Wheeler Hints At Public Utility-Style Regs For Internet

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1943 Views
    Tom Wheeler, FCC chairman
    LAS VEGAS (AP) --

    FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler appears poised to propose new rules that would classify Internet service providers as public utilities in a move designed to ensure everyone has the same access to free content online.

    Wheeler strongly indicated Wednesday that he favors the shift to tougher regulations, describing it as "just and reasonable" during an appearance in Las Vegas at the International CES, a technology industry gadget show.

    The remarks suggest that the head of the Federal Communications Commission is falling in line with President Barack Obama, who announced in November that he favors governing Internet service providers like telephone companies to preserve a "free and open" Internet.

    Major Internet service providers fiercely oppose the change, arguing it will kill jobs and discourage them from investing in network upgrades.

    Any revision to Internet regulations still must gain the support of at least two other commissioners besides Wheeler on the FCC's five-member voting panel.

    Wheeler said he intends to release the full details of his proposal Feb. 5. The FCC is scheduled to vote on the issue Feb. 26.

    A federal appeals court threw the future direction of Internet regulation into limbo nearly a year ago when it overturned previous rules designed to preserve "net neutrality." That's the concept that all websites should be treated equally even if the amount of traffic they attract strains an online network's capacity.

    After the court ruling, Wheeler indicated he might support a system that consumer activists feared would allow powerful online service providers such as Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable to create a two-tier system that funnels Internet traffic into fast and slow lanes. If that happened, only the richest companies might be able to pay the extra tolls to ensure their online content reaches the widest audiences, making it more difficult for startups developing potential technological breakthroughs to survive.

    "You want to make sure that innovators and consumers have open access to the networks," Wheeler said Wednesday.

    Michael Powell, an FCC chairman under President George W. Bush who now leads a trade group representing Internet service providers, has previously warned the adoption of utility-style regulations "would create devastating results."

    Wheeler indicated his proposal will still give Internet service providers plenty of incentives to upgrade their networks to provide even better online access for all their customers.

    Category:News
    Tags:FCCNet Neutrality



    A Closer Look At Proposed Measures Designed To Curb Google’s Search Monopoly

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

    The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google's business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn't likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system's slow-moving wheels.

    Here's what it all means:

    What is the Justice Department's goal?
    Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump's first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation.

    "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired," the Justice Department asserted in its recommendations. "The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."

    Not surprisingly, Google sees things much differently. The Justice Department's "wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision," Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer, asserted in a blog post. "It would break a range of Google products — even beyond search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."

    It's still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump... Read More

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