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The Senate has its own insincere net neutrality bill
Now that the House of Representatives has floated a superficial net neutrality bill, it's the Senate's turn. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy has introduced a companion version of the Open Internet Preservation Act that effectively replicates the House measure put forward by Tennessee Representative Marsha Blackburn. As before, it supports net neutrality only on a basic level -- and there are provisions that would make it difficult to combat other abuses.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai 'jokes' about being a Verizon shill
Many have accused FCC Chairman Ajit Pai of being a telecom shill between his background as a former Verizon lawyer and his determination to ignore all public input (not to mention complaints about comment bots) as he kills net neutrality. And apparently, his attempts at joking about it are only reinforcing those views. Gizmodo has obtained video of Pai trying to roast himself at the Federal Communications Bar Assocation's annual event, including a pre-recorded skit where an actual Verizon executive (senior VP Kathy Grillo) talks about wanting to "brainwash and groom a Verizon puppet" to become the FCC chairman, with Pai responding that it sounds like an "awesome" idea.
FCC may unveil softer net neutrality rules this week (update: confirmed)
Like it or not, the FCC may be close to divulging its plans for relaxing net neutrality rules. Recode contacts claim that Chairman Ajit Pai may talk about the softer regulation as soon as April 26th, when he speaks at a conservative group's event. There's no word on what the plan looks like now that Pai has talked to both internet companies and telecoms. However, the current belief is that Pai will only pay lip service to the net neutrality order he's planning to replace.
Emails show new EPA chief is cozy with the fossil fuel industry
There's no question that new Environmental Protection Agency leader Scott Pruitt has a conflict of interest when he previously declared himself the agency's number one enemy. However, it's now clearer just why he so fervently opposes eco-friendly regulation. The Center for Media and Democracy has used a court order to obtain emails from Pruitt's time as Oklahoma's attorney general, and they reveal an uncomfortably close relationship with the fossil fuel industry he's now supposed to regulate.
Virginia bill would effectively ban city-run broadband
Now that the FCC can't prevent states from blocking municipal broadband, telecom-backed politicians are doing their best to shut down these government-run networks. Virginia House Republican Kathy Byron has put forward a bill that would make municipal internet virtually impossible. Towns couldn't offer internet service so long as there's at least one private provider offering 10Mbps downloads and 1Mbps uploads to 90 percent of customers in the area -- and that's pretty easy to find in Virginia. Those towns that do clear this hurdle would have to both conduct a "comprehensive" assessment and give private ISPs 6 months to come up with solutions that are potentially less expensive.
FCC loses its bid to protect city-run broadband
If you were hoping that the FCC's efforts to protect municipal broadband would survive telecoms' attempts to destroy it, we have bad news. A federal appeals court has shot down an FCC order that preempted laws banning city-run internet access in North Carolina and Tennessee, prompting both states to file lawsuits. According to the decision, the Commission was overriding state rights without legal authority. While the FCC interpreted a clause in the Telecommunications Act (that it must "encourage" a timely rollout of broadband) as giving it permission to step in, the court sees it as insisting that cities must expand their internet options. There has to be a clearer mandate, the judges say.
FCC plans to fight state laws restricting city-run internet access
Frustrated that your state won't let you get city-run broadband, even when it could be faster or cheaper than the privately-run alternatives? The FCC may soon act on its warnings and do something about it. The Washington Post understands that the Commission is exploring a draft proposal that would fight laws curbing municipal internet access in North Carolina and Tennessee. Reportedly, these measures prevent the FCC from using its authority to promote high-speed data deployments in the US -- Tennessee, for example, won't let cities offer broadband beyond specific regions. While the proposal would only target two states, the measure could well represent a launching pad for regulation affecting all 21 states that ban or restrict city-operated services.
