Net Neutrality 2011: What Storms May Come

“When the Federal Communications Commission passed its first
binding network neutrality rules earlier this month, it brought a
sort of closure to a long-running, raucous debate that had left
nearly all participants exasperated, if not exhausted.

“But one would be hard pressed to find an observer who really
thinks the FCC’s Dec. 21 order will be the final word in the net
neutrality debate. So what happens next?

“FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski billed the rules as a
compromise that would establish some baseline prohibitions against
service providers blocking lawful content on their networks, while
shielding them from the heavy-handed regulatory oversight cable and
phone companies had long fought against.

“And indeed, some of the longtime foes of net neutrality rules,
including AT&T, Comcast and the National Cable and
Telecommunications Association, issued statements describing the
plan as less than ideal, but far better than some earlier, more
aggressive proposals.”

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