Opinion
Like It or Not, The FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules Are Here to Stay
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Network neutrality has contributed very significantly to the fast and vigorous growth of the high technology sector in the US while ensuring a level playing field in competition.
By Nicholas Economides
The regulations benefit society, not just cable and telecom companies.
As observers await the outcome of a federal appeals court’s challenge against the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules, it’s likely that the court will uphold the agency’s regulations preventing Internet providers from slowing down or blocking Web content that they do not like or charging Web sites a fee for reaching Internet users faster.
When the FCC last February passed these rules amid fierce opposition from telecom companies, the agency used a section of the Telecommunications Act called “Title II,” which gives the FCC very broad powers to regulate telecommunications. Because of the strong legal authority granted to the FCC under Title II, it is likely that the court will support the rules.
And if that happens, it’s a cause for celebration. The net neutrality rules correctly puts the interests of society as a whole above the interests of cable and telecom companies. Network neutrality has facilitated business innovation “at the edge of the Internet” without a need for approval from network operator(s) and without exorbitant payments to network operators. The decentralization of the Internet based on network neutrality fueled innovation and economic growth, resulting in big successes such as Google and Skype, as well as a myriad of smaller innovative companies.
Read full article as published in Fortune.
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Nicholas Economides is a Professor of Economics.
As observers await the outcome of a federal appeals court’s challenge against the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules, it’s likely that the court will uphold the agency’s regulations preventing Internet providers from slowing down or blocking Web content that they do not like or charging Web sites a fee for reaching Internet users faster.
When the FCC last February passed these rules amid fierce opposition from telecom companies, the agency used a section of the Telecommunications Act called “Title II,” which gives the FCC very broad powers to regulate telecommunications. Because of the strong legal authority granted to the FCC under Title II, it is likely that the court will support the rules.
And if that happens, it’s a cause for celebration. The net neutrality rules correctly puts the interests of society as a whole above the interests of cable and telecom companies. Network neutrality has facilitated business innovation “at the edge of the Internet” without a need for approval from network operator(s) and without exorbitant payments to network operators. The decentralization of the Internet based on network neutrality fueled innovation and economic growth, resulting in big successes such as Google and Skype, as well as a myriad of smaller innovative companies.
Read full article as published in Fortune.
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Nicholas Economides is a Professor of Economics.