President
says ‘open internet is essential to way of life’ and comes out against
so-called ‘fast lanes’ for higher-paying web users
theguardian.com,
Dominic Rushe in New York, Monday 10 November 2014
Barack Obama called for “the strongest possible rules to protect” the open internet on Monday and came out against proposals championed by cable and telecoms companies to create fast lanes for the web.
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| Obama: ‘We cannot allow ISPs to restrict the best access.’ Photograph: Reuters |
Barack Obama called for “the strongest possible rules to protect” the open internet on Monday and came out against proposals championed by cable and telecoms companies to create fast lanes for the web.
The
president’s statement comes as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
prepares to publish new rules to regulate the internet after a series of legal
defeats at the hands of telecoms and cable companies.
“An open
internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way
of life. By lowering the cost of launching a new idea, igniting new political
movements, and bringing communities closer together, it has been one of the
most significant democratizing influences the world has ever known,” Obama
said.
The
president came out firmly against a proposal that would allow cable companies
to create “fast lanes” for higher paying customers. Cable and telecoms companies
have lobbied for fast lanes, arguing that companies like Netflix should pay
more for the large amount of bandwidth they use.
Opponents
argue such a move would create a tiered internet with faster service for those
who can pay, and end “net neutrality” – the principle that all traffic is equal
on the web.
“Net
neutrality has been built into the fabric of the internet since its creation —
but it is also a principle that we cannot take for granted. We cannot allow
internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick
winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas,“ wrote
Obama. He said the FCC should impose “the strongest possible rules to protect
net neutrality.”
The
president’s move will place extraordinary pressure on the bipartisan FCC.
Chairman Tom Wheeler is a Democrat, but the FCC’s board is split between
Democrat and Republican members and the Republicans have shown clear opposition
to imposing more regulation on internet service providers.
After receiving more than 4m comments from the general public, the FCC had reportedly been
discussing a “hybrid” solution that would have allowed tiered services but
imposed stricter rules to protect customers. The proposal met with stiff
opposition from net neutrality supporters, who now have the backing of Obama.
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