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Net neutrality dies June 11th
Net neutrality officially dies June 11th, almost three years to the day after it was put into law. In a press release (PDF) from Ajit Pai's office, the former Verizon counsel (above) repeated his rhetoric that the internet was never broken and bemoaned Title II rules as being "heavy handed" and "outdated."
FCC hopes opening up communication airwaves will boost innovation
Today, the FCC voted to move forward with a proposal to open up communications spectrum beyond 95 GHz. In a statement, it said that spectrum above this range has been thought to be at the edge of what's usable, but now it wants to provide different levels of authorization to use the spectrum to, as Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement, "promote innovation and help put this spectrum to its best use." Pai noted that some might be skeptical as to whether spectrum above 95 GHz can actually be used, but he added, "The point is that we must be open to new technologies that haven't even been developed. And while we don't know precisely how far the laws of physics will permit us to go, we do know there's potential and interest. Engineers and entrepreneurs need to have the ability to push the envelope."
The FCC has repealed net neutrality
During today's open meeting, the FCC's proposal to repeal net neutrality protections put in place in 2015 was put to a vote and it passed, three votes to two. As was widely expected, the three Republican members -- Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Michael O'Rielly and Brendan Carr -- voted in favor of the proposal while Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, both Democrats, voted against it.
FCC repeals restrictions on consolidation of media companies
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed a handful of rules that it said were keeping the media industry out of the digital age, the Washington Post reports. The decades-old regulations were implemented in order to keep a diversity of perspectives within print, radio, and televised media outlets, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says they're out of date and don't reflect the current media landscape. "Few of the FCC's rules are staler than our broadcast ownership regulations," he said. "This agency finally drags its broadcast ownership rules to the digital age."
FCC adopts new rules aimed at stopping robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a new set of rules today aimed at shutting down irritating robocalls. The commission says that it receives over 200,000 complaints per year concerning unwanted calls, including robocalls, most of which were banned by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2009.
FCC will vote on viewer-tracking broadcast standard this week
On Thursday, the FCC will vote on a new broadcast standard that stands to have a big impact on both consumers and broadcasters. Next Gen TV, also known as ATSC 3.0, will bring with it sharper images and video as well as the ability for TV broadcasters to get more detailed data about consumers' viewing habits. Rather than just broad demographics, those broadcasters will be able to collect viewing data similar to how cable providers do with set-top boxes and how websites track browsing history. That information could then be used to more specifically target ads to viewers. The FCC is expected to approve the new standard but many are voicing concern over privacy issues and lack of regulation.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai nominated for another term
President Donald Trump has officially nominated current FCC Chairman and net neutrality opponent Ajit Pai for another five-year term on the commission, Axios reported on Tuesday. Pai's first term officially ended on July 1, 2016, but FCC commissioners are allowed to continue working for the agency for up to a year, which allowed Pai to assume the chairman role after Tom Wheeler stepped down in January.
FCC's new net neutrality rules opposed by 100+ internet companies (update: vote still on schedule)
Despite FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's insistence that he is on the side of an open internet, the controversy over proposed net neutrality rules continues to expand. Resistance to the new rules is now coming from voices within the FCC and major internet companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Yahoo and more. The plan was for the five commissioners to vote on their approval next Thursday, but today one of them, Jessica Rosenworcel, called to push back that vote by a month (update: an FCC spokesman says the vote will go forward as scheduled). Citing "real concerns" with Wheeler's proposal and a need for time to consider the "torrent of public response" received, she wants the delay so public conversation can continue. That would mean putting the agency's legal staff out front to explain the measures and answer questions in ways that are accessible to the public, instead of starting a Sunshine Period that would end the ability to accept public comment.
