Just last week the Republican-led FCC axed several restrictions on media companies cross-owning TV and newspaper assets. Sources also reported the same day that chairman Pai and team will vote next month on killing a two-year old order that regulates the throttling of web traffic, an effort to maintain what is known as net neutrality.
The FCC declined to comment, but both Reuters and Bloomberg have reported that a December 14 meeting of the FCC could see the end of the Obama-era ruling on regulating web traffic.
At Pai’s first meeting with the FCC as its chairman, in January 2017, he said:
“I think the issue is pretty simple. I favor a free and open Internet and I oppose Title II. That’s pretty much all I can say about that topic.”
In May this year, he said in an interview that strict net neutrality rules would “prohibit a number of pro-competitive business arrangements” and “would reduce investments.”
A month before, he had proposed that the Title II Order on net neutrality be rolled back, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) take action against violators of the principles of net neutrality for unfair or deceptive business practices.
Also in May, the FCC voted 2-1 to proceed with its plans to roll back the earlier order. Now, it looks like that ruling might come as early as next month.
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