In a move to preserve an open Internet, the Federal Communications Commission voted last week along partisan lines to implement “net neutrality” rules to ensure equal treatment in how content is delivered by Internet service providers.
Under the new rules, high-speed broadband providers like Verizon and Comcast will, for the first time, be regulated like utilities. They will be prohibited from charging for premium access to streaming content, essentially creating a pay-for-play “fast lane” of content delivery.
The decision was seen as a positive measure for schools and libraries that could have been relegated to a “slow lane” of Internet access if a tiered system of providing service had been created.
A legal challenge by broadband providers is expected.
