ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – The American Consumer Institute (ACI) is disappointed to learn today that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has chosen to restore net neutrality regulations. Despite repeated warnings that net neutrality will harm consumers and the broadband market, the Commission voted 3-2 in favor of reimposing top-down, utility-style regulations on the internet. Moving forward, this means broadband services will be treated as Title II telecommunications services under the Communications Act, subjecting them to public utility state and local taxes, as well as providing the federal agency with sweeping power to micromanage every aspect of the internet.
The result will be a disaster for investment, deployment, and access within the broadband market, as well as for consumers who will experience higher broadband prices as a result.
While the FCC argues that this rulemaking is needed to “safeguard the fair and open Internet” and prevent providers from “blocking, throttling, or engaging in paid prioritization of lawful content,” absent are credible examples of harm that would merit the type of government intervention the Commission is taking. The internet is already safe and open, and consumers increasingly enjoy a wide range of services available at reasonable prices. Other new FCC arguments, such as those dealing with national security and public safety, have also been rightly criticized as being nothing more than a pretext to expand “government control over the Internet.”
The truth is that the internet is not broken, and this new rulemaking will only undermine an already competitive and consumer-friendly broadband market by introducing a new layer of complexity that is harmful to consumers and businesses.
For media inquiries, please email [email protected] to inquire about the above content.
The American Consumer Institute is a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, visit www.TheAmericanConsumer.Org or follow us on X @ConsumerPal.