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Added on the 10/05/2018 11:44:39 - Copyright : Wochit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission said in a notice on Thursday that landmark 2015 U.S. open-internet rules will cease on June 11, and new rules handing providers power over what content consumers can access will take effect. The FCC in December repealed the Obama-era “net neutrality” rules, allowing internet providers to block or slow websites as long as they disclose the practice. The FCC said the new rules will take effect on June 11. A group of states and others have sued to try to block the new rules from taking effect.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Landmark U.S. “net neutrality” rules will expire on June 11, and new regulations handing providers broad new power over how consumers can access the internet will take effect, the Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday in setting the date. The FCC in December repealed the Obama-era open-internet rules set in 2015, which bars providers from blocking or slowing down access to content or charging consumers more for certain content. The prior rules were intended to ensure a free and open internet, give consumers equal access to web content and bar broadband service providers from favoring their own material or others.
The FCC rolled out its plan on Tuesday to kill off net neutrality. In doing so, there's a high chance that millions of American consumers will see price increases in internet service and a rise in online censorship. Meanwhile, internet service providers and mobile carriers will be raking in the cash. The vote to repeal net neutrality will be held by the FCC on December 14. Republicans control three of the commission’s five seats. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union, "Gutting net neutrality will have a devastating effect on free speech online."
According to Reuters, a California man was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Friday after pleading guilty for threatening to kill the family of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai over the regulator’s successful effort to repeal net neutrality rules. The Justice Department said Markara Man sent the email threats “in hopes it would cause (Pai) to reverse his position on net neutrality.” When Markara pleaded guilty in September 2018, Pai thanked law enforcement and the FCC for protecting him and his family.
FCC chair Ajit Pai has signaled the FCC will try to loosen cable leased access rules. Currently, cable operators with more than 100 channels have to set aside 15% of those channels for leased access. Smaller operators have to provide a smaller percentage. On Thursday, the FCC will release the draft of the leased access item. Pai signaled in a blog post that the FCC would be voting on loosening or jettisoning some of the regs. Pai is likely has the votes of his Republican colleagues, which is all he will need. Pai said that programmers have a wide array of options to get content out, so lease access rules have been considerably lowered.
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