From the New York Tines: F.C.C. Moves Toward Restoring Net Neutrality Rules, Igniting Regulatory Fight

Rulemaking . . . 

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The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to move forward on a proposal to restore open internet rules, which were repealed during the Trump administration, with a final vote likely to come next year.

The commissioners at the Democratic-led agency voted 3 to 2 along party lines to kick off a monthslong process to bring back so-called net neutrality regulations that prohibit broadband providers from blocking or slowing down services like Google and Netflix on their networks.

Telecommunications companies that provide broadband and Republicans have vowed to fight the proposal, saying it will be too much of a burden on broadband providers.

By voting to move ahead with a proposal to restore net neutrality, the F.C.C. is broadening its reach.

The move will ultimately enable the agency to categorize high-speed internet as a utility, like water or electricity. That is a major step toward modernizing the agency’s objectives, especially as consumers increasingly depend on the internet as their main source for communications. The agency will then be able to police broadband providers for net neutrality violations, consumer harm and security lapses.

“Now is the time for our rules of the road for internet service providers to reflect the reality that internet access is a necessity for daily life,” Jessica Rosenworcel, the chair of the F.C.C., said in a statement.