DES MOINES – Attorney General Tom Miller today joined a group of state attorneys general in a federal lawsuit challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s decision last month to repeal net neutrality regulations.
The 21 states, plus the District of Columbia, this afternoon filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, formally commencing the lawsuit against the FCC and the federal government.
“By repealing these rules, the FCC changed the so-called ‘Internet of Things’ to the internet of kings,” Miller said. “The FCC shouldn’t let providers be internet kingmakers through pay-for-play digital on-ramps. Consumers and small businesses alike should expect no less than equal access to internet content,” Miller added. “Unfettered data access shouldn’t be a luxury—it’s a necessity that’s vital to our nation’s economy and our state’s economy.”
The rules, passed in 2015, barred internet service providers (ISPs) from slowing or blocking the digital flow of content and applications, and from offering paid faster data channels, or lanes. The repeal enables ISPs to preferentially treat sites they designate, and block or reduce data speeds for others. The repeal also enables ISPs to charge users to access specific content.
Under the Administrative Procedure Act, the FCC cannot make “arbitrary and capricious” changes to existing policies, such as net neutrality. The FCC’s new rule, the attorneys general argue, fails to justify the commission’s departure from its long-standing policy and practice of defending net neutrality, while misinterpreting and disregarding critical record evidence on industry practices and harm to consumers and businesses.
Additionally, according to the states, the rule wrongly reclassifies broadband internet as a Title I information service, rather than a Title II telecommunications service, based on an erroneous and unreasonable interpretation of the Telecommunications Act. Finally, the rule improperly and unlawfully includes sweeping preemption of state and local laws.
“In our rural areas, where many consumers may have only a single internet service provider at best, the FCC’s repeal means that provider now gets to pick winners and losers by choosing what content you can load fast, slow, or not at all,” Miller said. “I’m concerned that this could widen our existing urban-rural digital divide.”
Because there are so few comments on this article it’s telling me that there are not many people that understand what NET NEUTRALITY is or means.
This is a important issue for all of us and our elected leadership must not understand it either as I am not hearing them speak out on the issue of NET NEUTRALITY.
This does not bode well for American’s pocketbook. Depending on how this is legislated OR NOT this will cost every American more for internet service!!!
The internet has become a NECESSITY! It is a utility like water, sewer, and electricity. The people are dependent on it.
For that reason it should be Federal Law that the SPEED and VOLUME of DATA must never be restricted or consumers faced to pay extra for faster speed or the amount of data the consumer uses.
COMPETITION between providers must be the yard stick used for pricing.
Let the providers compete on a level playing field and DO NOT RESTRICT the number of providers in any area that want to provide internet service. I have never agreed with the city of Mason City regulating by city ordinance who and who can’t provide internet service in Mason City. Who gets to put up wires on the poles and who can’t. Who gets to provide what should be open to all who want to compete and sell the service.
The other answer to this problem is for the internet to be solely owned and controlled by the taxpayers, the same as the water and sewer lines. Make the internet a public utility! I believe our water and sewer rates are low because it is a public utility and not for profit. The internet should be set up the same way and all this net neutrality would be unnecessary.
Totally agree, except information has been found to be dangerous, and actionable, and as a result governments are narily entrusted to be sole proprietors. Not to mention R & D and business competitive incentive. Privatized but regulated is still the best solution at this point, until the people start making better electoral decisions. Trump and his band of marauders sure as hell aren’t representative of healthy and stable human choices.
And, the most corrupt politician we have ever seen (OBAMA) was? What a fool.
yeah but you make no sense.
First and foremost President Trump is proving to be the best President EVER! Have you noticed that the economy, wages, and jobs are up, up, up. Our President has pretty much DEFEATED ISIS and has them on the run. America is safer and he starting to get our borders under control if the dumb ass Democrats would start worrying about the America People instead of illegal people coming here to use us! Get your shit together there bub!
The author makes a good point. Government can in this case provide better service at a cheaper price IF the proper rules and regulations are set up in advance.