The Federal Communications Commission abolished Net Neutrality Rules. The F.C.C. voted on Thursday to finish the rules that connect everybody with the internet.
Net Neutrality prohibited providers from blocking websites or charging for higher-quality services. It meant internet freedom, open spectrum, and universal high-speed internet; now companies will freely block any content they don’t agree with or slow down services or charge extra fees.
Ajit Pai, chairman of the F.C.C., said that this would eventually help consumers, as significant broadband service providers could now offer an extensive variety of service options. Mr. Pai was one of the 3-on-favor votes for this decision.
“We are helping consumers and promoting competition,” he said after he voted. “Broadband providers will have more incentive to build networks, especially to underserved areas.” Many critics of these changes agreed that consumers would have more difficulty when looking for content online.
There have been numerous protests to prevent what already happened. Some groups will even file a lawsuit to revoke the change.
Even though everything is chaos, it is still unclear how this decision is going to affect internet users. Telecom companies are not expanding and upgrading as soon as the F.C.C wants to.
We won’t feel the changes right away. “Your internet Thursday afternoon will not change in any significant and substantial way,” said Michael Powell, president of NCTA-The Internet and Television Association, after the results.
They’re giving more power to the powerful. “If we don’t have net neutrality protections that enforce tenets of fairness online, you give internet service providers the ability to choose winners and losers,” said Steve Huffman, chief executive of Reddit.
What will happen to the internet now? Only time will tell. With Net Neutrality repealed, we can only wait to see how things are going to develop.
This article was inspired by The New York Times // F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules