The Federal Communications Commission decides to reinstate the neutrality rule to ensure the Internet is fast, open, and fair.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to reinstate net neutrality regulations, which were repealed in 2017, with the vote being 3 in favor and 2 against.

FCC RESTORES NET NEUTRALITY
(PDF file)

Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/net-neutrality-fcc-broadband-regulation-cc8421bc4f11a3e0f6ffc22c358fbfd0

FCC restores net neutrality rules that ban blocking and throttling in 3-2 vote | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/04/fcc-restores-net-neutrality-rules-that-ban-blocking-and-throttling-in-3-2-vote/

FCC votes to restore net neutrality - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/25/24140157/fcc-vote-restore-net-neutrality-rosenworcel-biden

The FCC has made it clear that it has restored its authority to exercise effective oversight over IPS, and has also announced the following policies:

Protecting the Open Internet: Lawful content blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization by IPS would again be prohibited, reinstating rules upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2016.

・Protecting national security: The FCC has the authority to revoke the licenses of foreign companies that pose a threat to national security to operate broadband network services in the U.S. This authority is based on Section 214 of the Communications Act, and the FCC has a track record of revoking the licenses of four Chinese state-owned carriers to operate voice services in the U.S.

Monitoring the health of internet service: The FCC could play a more active role when internet service outages prevent workers from working remotely, students from learning, or businesses from selling their products.

The 'Net Neutrality' regulations are rules enacted by the FCC during the Barack Obama administration in 2015. They are based on the idea that 'content on the Internet should be treated fairly,' and do not tolerate unfair practices such as blocking certain sites or apps, or using 'fast lanes' where only service providers who pay an additional fee can deliver content at high speeds, allowing even small and medium-sized businesses to deliver content fairly.

However, just two years after its enactment, in 2017, the 'net neutrality' regulations were repealed under the Donald Trump administration.

'The internet has gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have,' FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said ahead of the vote to reinstate the rules for the first time in seven years. 'Broadband is now an essential service. Essential services are those we rely on for every aspect of modern life and require basic oversight.'