Last November, a U.S. Court of Appeals gave state governments the green light to pass laws that would restore net neutrality to their territories. Today we will tell you who is already developing such bills. We will also talk about what key industry players think about the current situation - including the head of the FCC, Ajit Pai.
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Brief background of the issue
In 2017 FCC net neutrality rules and states to implement them locally. Since then, the public has not stopped trying to turn the situation back on track. In 2018 Mozilla to the Federal Communications Commission, because, in their opinion, the abolition of net neutrality is unconstitutional, interferes with the work of providers and developers of web applications.
Three months ago the court about this question. The abolition of net neutrality was recognized as legal, but the judge ruled that the commission could not prevent local authorities from introducing their own restrictions related to net neutrality. And they began to take advantage of this opportunity.
Which states are returning net neutrality
Relevant law in California. To date, he one of the strictest laws of its kind in the country - it has even been called the "gold standard". It prevents ISPs from blocking and differentiating traffic from different sources.
The new rules also put a ban on politics (zero-rating) - now telecom operators cannot provide users with access to content without considering traffic. According to the regulator, this approach will equalize the opportunities of large and small Internet providers - the latter do not have the resources to attract new customers by offering to watch videos in an online cinema or use a certain social network without restrictions.
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In the state of Washington, a law restoring net neutrality since June 2018. The authorities did not wait for the results of the Mozilla and FCC proceedings. There, operators cannot prioritize user traffic and charge extra money for it. Similar law in the state of Oregon, but it is not as strict - for example, it does not apply to ISPs that work with government organizations.
A similar initiative is being worked out by the authorities of New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo about plans to return net neutrality across the state in 2020. The new rules will be similar to the law adopted by the California regulator - zero-rating will also be banned.
There will be more such bills in the near future. Last year, together with Mozilla, sued the FCC Attorneys General of 22 states - it can be expected that the authorities of these states are already preparing new legislation.
FCC Position and Community Response
The head of the FCC Ajit Pai (Ajit Pai) did not support the policy of local authorities who want to return net neutrality. He that the decision taken by the Commission in 2017 benefited the industry and contributed to the development of network infrastructure. Since the abolition of net neutrality, the average internet access speed across the country has increased, as has the number of connected households.
But some experts these trends with the growing number of cities deploying their own broadband networks. Analysts at George Washington University that ISPs in the US are not investing more in infrastructure development. Moreover, by human rights group Free Press, investment over the past two years, on the contrary, has declined. For example, AT&T that in 2020 they plan to cut the corresponding budget by $3 billion. With a similar statement at Comcast.
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In any case, local laws restoring net neutrality at the state level are only a half-measure that can lead to a mixed situation in the telecommunications market. Internet providers different tariffs for users of different states - as a result, some citizens will not receive the most favorable conditions for accessing the Internet.
Experts note that it is possible to resolve the situation only at the federal level. And work in this direction is already underway. In April, members of the US House of Representatives overturning the FCC decision and restoring net neutrality rules. So far the Senate put it to a vote, but the situation may change in the future.
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Source: habr.com