The FCC is an independent agency of the National Government that controls wire, cable, satellite and radio interstate communications in America.
The rules voted-in broadband suppliers would be reclassified by Thursday under Title II. standard landline phone service is now controlled under Title II. Title II regulations are extremely strict on what utilities thus controlled cannot do. What this means is that the FCC wouldn’t apply regulations which are “not related” to broadband internet access. Now, wireless suppliers of phone service (ie Verizon, U.S. Cellular) are controlled under Title II with Forbearance, confronting less regulation than landline telephone suppliers.
Prioritization that is paid is the custom of billing some internet services for quicker access to the customers of an internet service provider. There’s been a dispute between Netflix over billing Netflix for quick access and various ISPs. This rule would likewise prevent an ISP from prioritizing services or content of its own parent companies or affiliates over other services. In determining which website loads quicker for users that are CableONE for instance, if CableONE had its own social network, it couldn’t prioritize that social network over Facebook.
The rules would permit “practical network management” in controlling the technical and engineering facets of their networks and keeping the stream of information on the other side of the web. The decision on what’s “realistic” would be based on the particular technologies used, so “realistic” network management would mean something different for web on a Verizon Smartphone and net supplied by CableONE.
What the rules wouldn’t do is demand extensive accounting standards from the ISPs or control rates.
Another Title II demand the rules would forbear from is called last mile unbundling. Last-mile unbundling is expected under total Title II regulations, and if executed would require cable companies to let their “last mile” infrastructure ( for instance, CableONE’s cable lines in the city of Chanute that go to individual homes) to competitors at wholesale costs.
The rules wouldn’t require ISPs to pay fees or any additional taxes to the federal government.
Virtually all national ISPs have sworn to fight the rules through litigation or said that expensive litigation was “unavoidable.” This happened in 2010 when the FCC voted-in on blocking, restraining similar rules and paid Verizon prioritization which were challenged in court by Verizon.