FCC passes limited net neutrality rules, almost no one happy about them

Well, no surprises here -- the FCC just passed a set of limited net neutrality rules by a 3-2 vote. The three Democratic Commissioners, including FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, voted yes, while the two Republican Commissioners both strongly dissented -- to quote Commissioner Meredith Baker, "I really, really, really dissent." The rules haven't been made public yet, but the general understanding is that wired broadband will be more heavily regulated than wireless -- a crucial point as carriers begin investigating pay-per-service charges. That means even net neutrality advocates are unhappy with today's decision -- Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps straight-up said, "Today's action could -- and should -- have gone further." What's more, we're hearing that Verizon is already considering a challenge -- which is odd since the rules appear to track closely with that joint Verizon / Google proposal from the summer. We're still waiting on the full text of the rules and will post a complete breakdown once we get them, but for now hit the source link and check out Genachowski's remarks on the regulations.

P.S. - Need a net neutrality refresher? Check out this awesome (and educational) animation and interview with Columbia law professor Tim Wu!