New York:The head of the Federal Communications Commission is taking the defense of new Internet regulations on the road.
Speaking
at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, FCC
Chairman Tom Wheeler said Tuesday that “there needs to be a referee” for
the Internet.
The
FCC’s vote last week approved “net neutrality” rules that prevent
Internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from slowing or blocking
Web traffic or from creating Internet fast lanes that content providers
such as Netflix must pay for.
Broadband
providers and Republicans have been critical of the new rules, and the
FCC’s decision is expected to trigger industry lawsuits that could take
years to resolve.
Verizon
has criticised the FCC for basing the new rules on a 1934 law. Wheeler
said that the agency “modernized” the old communications legislation,
leaving out parts that don’t apply to today’s Internet. He said that
approach has worked well for wireless carriers.
The
FCC approved the new rules by a 3-2 vote. One of the dissenting
commissioners, Ajit Pai, said the new rules are unpredictable. That
could make Internet providers less willing to come up with new services.
Wheeler
said the rules are not intended to block innovation. He said that the
agency did not want to impose broad, restrictive rules on the industry
but would look at business practices on a case-by-case basis. He said
that there will be no rate regulation and that the rules won’t hurt
network operators’ revenue streams from consumer services.
AT&T
has said the rules politicize the Internet. President Barack Obama and
many Democrats approve the new regulatory approach. Although Republicans
have said they support an open Internet, they want a different
approach.
Wheeler
did not specifically address the political aspect of the decision, but
said “the people against it spawned all kinds of imaginary horribles.
This is no more regulating the Internet than the First Amendment
regulates free speech in our country.”
Posted by : Gizmeon
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