The FCC Votes for New Internet Regulations

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski

(The Wall Street Journal December 22, 2010)  The Federal Communications Commision last Tuesday voted 3-2 to back Chairman Julius Genachowski's plan for what is commonly known as "net neutrality," or rules prohibiting Internet providers from interfering with legal web traffic.  As a result, consumers for the first time got federally approved rules guaranteeing their right to view what they want on the internet.  This new framework could also result in tiered charges for web access and alter how companies profit from the network.  President Obama said the FCC's action will "help preserve the free and open nature of the internet."  The move was supposedly prompted by worries that large phone and cable firms were becoming too powerful as internet gatekeeprs.  As of now most consumers haven't had a problem viewing whatever they desire online.  There have been a few cases of an internet provider blocking or slowing services.

The supposed purpose of the FCC rules are designed to prevent potential future harms and they could shape how Americans access and use the internet years from now.  In the future, the internet industry will be increasingly centered around the fastest-growing categories of internet traffic--online video, gaming and mobile services, according to analysts.  Cisco Systems, Inc., the broadband network provider, has forecast those services could quadruple by 2014.  Comcast Corporation and other internet providers have experimented with ways to handle the growing problem of network congestion.  Chairman Genachowski suggested that instead of selectively slowing certain traffic to cope with congestion, providers could consider charging consumers for how much data they consume.  That would be a departure from the flat monthly fee consumers pay now for web access.  It's something providers privately say is one of the only ways to make and profit and fund network infrastructure. 

The new rules will allow phone and cable companies to sell internet companies like Amazon.com Inc. faster data delivery for extra money, particularly on wireless networks.  That would allow a company that offers streaming video, like Google Inc.'s YouTube, pay a wireless company like Verizon Communications Inc. a bonus for guaranteed delivery of its videos to consumers' smart phones.  But FCC officials said any such priority service must be disclosed, and they said they would likely probe and reject such efforts.  That could prompt some of the many expected legal challenges to the new rules, since it is not clear if the FCC has authority to enforce them.  Consumer groups and other organizations, including the American Library Association, oppose such high-speed toll lanes, arguing all Americans should have the same quality of internet access. 

The FCC's decision is a mixed bag for consumers.  The new rules--which haven't been released in full--say that land-line broadband providers can't block legal content from websites, or "unreasonably discriminate" against companies like Skype or Netflix that want to use broadband networks to provide video or voice services.  They also require providers to give consumers more information about their internet service, like actual download speeds or usage limits.  The rules allow some wiggle room for the industry.  Service providers will be allowed to engage in "reasonable network management" to cope with congestion on their systems.  Wireless companies are less restricted by the new rules--a supposed win for the industry because consumers are increasingly accessing the web using hand-held devices such as iPhones or Blackberries.  Chairman Genachowski said mobile carriers faced more congestion issues than other companies and need more room to manage their networks.  Wireless companies would be prohibited from blocking internet voice services but they could block access to many other applications, citing congestion issues.

I have just given you what the article from "The Wall Street Journal" and the news about new changes in internet rules.  Now I'm going to present my analysis on the issue.  First of all, the role of the FCC is to regulate radio stations.  It's to prevent radio waves from clashing with one another to prevent radio stations from crowding one another out.  The FCC is not to regulate cable television, like Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), desires.  The Courts had said that the FCC shouldn't be regulating the internet.  Consequently, the FCC decided to go ahead and vote to regulate the internet.  I know some would say that would be a great thing because of all the filth that comes through cyberspace such as pornography, etc.  However, the agenda of the FCC and the Obama administration isn't about cleaning up the internet.  The goal of  President Obama, Chairman Genachowski, Cass Sunstein, and Mary Lloyd is to regulate free speech.  I believe this move that the FCC voted on to regulate what consumers can see on the internet is a step forward to government imposing fascism in the United States. 

There have been some that had been calling for the return of the Fairness Doctrine last year such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingham, to name a few.  We may not see the Fairness Doctrine being re-imposed as the former measure, but the government will find other ways to restrict free speech.  The move by the FCC will allow the government to regulate free speech.  There are many that desire to silence the conservative voice in talk radio such as Jim Sumpter, for example, who questions President Obama's eligibility on whether or not he's a natural-born citizen of the United States.  The Left refers to those who questions Obama's eligibility as "birthers."  We live in America.  Why can't we raise those questions?  Why can't we ask questions on what really took place on 9/11?  You can call me a conspiranoid, but the freedom to question the government and hold them accountable is what free speech is all about.  Yet the Progressives are working overtime to silence free speech.

I recognize there is a lot of filth on the internet.  However, the FCC's move has nothing to do with regulating filth.  They want to silence those that oppose the politically correct views of the Left.  America is moving a step closer to becoming a Hugo Chavez type of dictatorship like they have in Venezuela.  The globalists are doing everything within their power to bring about the destruction of America and one of the important items on their agenda is to silence free speech.  They are now a step closer to doing so.