Net Neutrality Is Officially Back After FCC Votes To Regulate ISPs

As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to restore net neutrality rules that were repealed during the Trump administration. The vote passed 3-2 in favor of reinstating net neutrality regulation by reclassifying broadband service as a Title II telecommunications service, which in turn enables the FCC to issue and enforce rules.

"Through its actions today, the Commission creates a national standard by which it can ensure that broadband internet service is treated as an essential service. Today’s vote also makes clear that the Commission will exercise its authority over broadband in a narrowly tailored fashion— without rate regulation, tariffing, or unbundling—to foster continued innovation and investment," the FCC stated in a press release.

The vote was split among party lines, with Democratic commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel (chairwoman, Connecticut), Geoffrey Starks (Kansas), and Anna M. Gomez (Virginia) voting in favor of restoring net neutrality, and Republican commissioners Brendan Carr ...