Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC)

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is a set of rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which say Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, and Verizon, cannot block, throttle, or prioritize certain content on the Internet.

1. Biden’s FCC is still deadlocked, and net neutrality hangs in the balance  The Verge
2. Highlights reel: Rosenworcel talks net neutrality, maps, spectrum in FCC confirmation hearing  FierceTelecom
3. Biden Administration Threatens Consumers with Net Neutrality, Again – InsideSources  InsideSources
4. Op-Ed: FCC nominee Sohn misguided on net neutrality policy  The Center Square
5. How long will it take Biden’s new FCC picks to restore net neutrality?  The Daily Dot
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Cruz, Thune, Colleagues Urge USDA to Reverse Decision to Include So-Called “Net Neutrality” Commitments in ReConnect Program  Senator Ted Cruz Vedantas Sesa Goa iron ore biz aims to achieve carbon net neutrality by 2050  Free Press Journal Why Net Neutrality Can't Wait  ACLU Biden's call to restore net neutrality: What you should know  CNET The Problematic Potential Return of Net Neutrality - AAF  American Action Forum The long, painful path of net neutrality  The New York Times Broad Executive Order by Biden Administration Restores Net Neutrality, Proposes Expanded Regulation of Big ...  CPO Magazine This Week In Techdirt History: November 21st - 27th  Techdirt Net Neutrality 2021 Legislation  National Conference of State Legislatures Mozilla leads push for FCC to reinstate net neutrality  CNBC California’s net neutrality law and the case for zero-rating government services  Brookings Institution Fake Comments on Net Neutrality Rollback to Cost Companies Millions  The New York Times Ericsson's $6.2B Vonage deal has befuddled investors - no wonder  Light Reading Democrats are gearing up to fight for net neutrality  The Verge California put the US back on track for nationwide net neutrality  Quartz President Biden Sadly Wants to Revive 'Net Neutrality'  RealClearMarkets California net neutrality clash heads to court  Politico EFF at 30: Freeing the Internet, with Net Neutrality Pioneer Gigi Sohn  EFF Net Neutrality Is Far From Necessary  Reason Democrats revive battle for net neutrality  The Washington Post With Net Neutrality Back in Motion, is Federal Universal Service Fund Reform Next?  CPAPracticeAdvisor.com Scoping Out Corporate Carbon Neutrality by Geoffrey Heal  Project Syndicate FCC to vote on allowing texts to suicide hotline  Politico President Biden: The Time To Restore Net Neutrality Is Now  ACLU In boost for net neutrality, top EU court plunges dagger into controversial ‘zero rating’ practice  Fortune China creates vast research infrastructure to support ambitious climate goals  Nature.com A Post-Mortem of Net Neutrality  Reporter Magazine What is net neutrality? Here's what you need to know  Business Insider New president, new FCC, new net neutrality rules?  Marketplace.org The corporate world’s race to net-zero hinges on tiny villages in the DR Congo  Fortune 2018 California Net Neutrality Law Finally Clear to Be Enforced in Wake of Unsuccessful Challenge by Inter ...  CPO Magazine The Road Ahead For Net Neutrality And The First Amendment - Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment - United States  Mondaq News Alerts Net Neutrality Nails Veterans  The Wall Street Journal An Introduction to Net Neutrality - ECR Community  PLoS Blogs Net neutrality fight is about to come roaring back  CNET Mass. bill looks to restore 'net neutrality' provisions for broadband operators  SecurityInfoWatch Rhode Island Looks to Solidify Net Neutrality Requirements  GovTech EFF to Ninth Circuit: Don't Block California's Pathbreaking Net Neutrality Law  EFF Code for Democracy Debuts New Tool to Track Money in Politics  Sludge Net Neutrality and Big Tech’s Speech Hypocrisy  The Wall Street Journal Editorial: FCC and Congress should jump behind net neutrality  The Ledger Opinion: Challenge to California net neutrality law should be dismissed  The Mercury News The State of Net Neutrality  American Libraries Miami grants approval to carbon neutrality by 2050 plan  SmartCitiesWorld India Pledges Net-Zero Emissions by 2070, 2 Decades Behind Rich Nations  Bloomberg Dear Recycle Lady: Friday, November 19  West Virginia Daily News The Role of BECCS in Achieving Climate Neutrality in the European Union  AZoM To undo Trump’s net neutrality policy, the Biden admin drops a lawsuit  Marketplace.org AT&T lies about Calif. net neutrality law, claiming it bans “free data”  Ars Technica FCC Democrats Set to Move on Net Neutrality, Broadband Subsidies  Bloomberg Law Lines blur where net neutrality, USF intersect: Entner  FierceWireless Tim Wu, the ‘father of net neutrality,’ is joining the Biden administration  The Verge Restoring non-discrimination to the 21st century’s most important network  Brookings Institution What Is Net Neutrality? The Complete WIRED Guide  WIRED If Biden is serious about broadband, he should oppose net neutrality  American Enterprise Institute Net Neutrality Has Officially Been Repealed. Here’s How That Could Affect You.  The New York Times The ‘net zero’ myth  Aljazeera.com Five Reasons Why Title II Net Neutrality Is No Longer Relevant In Tech Policy  Forbes What to expect from a Biden FCC on Section 230, net neutrality, and 5G  Brookings Institution Net neutrality flare-up - POLITICO  Politico Be careful what you wish for: A return to 'net neutrality' is a concern for the entire internet  American Enterprise Institute The court let the FCC kill net neutrality, here’s why  The Verge California challenges U.S. reversal of Obama-era 2017 net neutrality rules  Reuters F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules  The New York Times Net Neutrality Updates  American Libraries Why Net Neutrality Was Repealed and How It Affects You  The New York Times Net neutrality was repealed a year ago — what’s happened since?  The Verge Net neutrality is dead — what now?  The Verge Saving net neutrality: How Congress could overturn the FCC’s repeal  Vox The net neutrality battle lives on: What you need to know after the appeals court decision  CNET Net Neutrality Repeal: What Could Happen and How It Could Affect You  The New York Times Real Net Neutrality Is More Than a Ban on Blocking, Throttling, and Paid Prioritization  EFF Goodbye, Ajit Pai  Slate Magazine Bringing back net neutrality rules is high on Biden’s tech agenda  Marketplace.org Senator Markey says Facebook statements on kids advertising ‘appear misleading’  BetaBoston F.C.C. Plans Net Neutrality Repeal in a Victory for Telecoms  The New York Times Republican-controlled FCC doubles down on net neutrality repeal  CNET Should the US Have Net Neutrality Laws? - Top 3 Pros and Cons  ProCon.org What Is Net Neutrality and Why Is it Important?  TheStreet What is net neutrality?  ABC News Net Neutrality Has Been Rolled Back — But It's Not Dead Yet  NPR The Covid-19 Pandemic Shows the Virtues of Net Neutrality  WIRED US net neutrality's crushing defeat this week may end up saving it  Quartz Net neutrality is dead — what happens next?  The Verge With Pai's departure, FCC likely to restore net neutrality, strengthen municipal broadband  StateScoop Net neutrality is dead. It’s time to fear Mickey Mouse  The Verge The FCC's net neutrality rules are officially repealed today. Here's what that really means.  The Washington Post Net Neutrality 101  Competitive Enterprise Institute Net Neutrality Definition  Investopedia Putting the Net Neutrality Scare Stories to Rest  Competitive Enterprise Institute Net Neutrality Vote Passes House, Fulfilling Promise by Democrats  The New York Times Net Neutrality Tops To-Do List for FCC Democrats in Biden Era  Bloomberg Law Coal phase-out may take longer than countries are willing to admit – report - MINING.COM  MINING.com Here's How the End of Net Neutrality Will Change the Internet  WIRED The FCC just killed net neutrality  The Verge

What is Net Neutrality?

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers must treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication. For instance, under these principles, internet service providers are unable to intentionally block, slow down or charge money for specific websites and online content.

The term was coined by Columbia University media law professor Tim Wu in 2003, as an extension of the longstanding concept of a common carrier, which was used to describe the role of telephone systems.

A widely cited example of a violation of net neutrality principles was the Internet service provider Comcast's secret slowing ("throttling") of uploads from peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) applications by using forged packets. Comcast did not stop blocking these protocols, like BitTorrent, until the FCC ordered them to stop. In another minor example, The Madison River Communications company was fined US$15,000 by the FCC, in 2004, for restricting their customers' access to Vonage, which was rivaling their own services. AT&T was also caught limiting access to FaceTime, so only those users who paid for AT&T's new shared data plans could access the application. In July 2017, Verizon Wireless was accused of throttling after users noticed that videos played on Netflix and Youtube were slower than usual, though Verizon commented that it was conducting "network testing" and that net neutrality rules permit "reasonable network management practices".

Research suggests that a combination of policy instruments will help realize the range of valued political and economic objectives central to the network neutrality debate. Combined with strong public opinion, this has led some governments to regulate broadband Internet services as a public utility, similar to the way electricity, gas, and the water supply are regulated, along with limiting providers and regulating the options those providers can offer.