Nov 21, 2017

FCC unveils plan to repeal net-neutrality rules

FCC chairman Ajit Pai at an open meeting earlier this year. Photo: Robin Groulx / Axios

The Federal Communications Commission will vote in December on whether to roll back Obama-era rules that stop internet service providers from blocking or slowing down content, or offering "fast lanes" to websites in exchange for a fee.

The details: The agency's Trump-appointed chairman, Ajit Pai, said in a statement that "the FCC would simply require Internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that's best for them and entrepreneurs and other small businesses can have the technical information they need to innovate.”

What’s next: The text of the proposal — and therefore key details — have yet to be released.

Why it matters: This will give internet service providers more room to experiment with favoring their own content and, conceivably, charging customers or websites more for handling certain content.

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