A party line vote isn’t a good omen for an upcoming regulatory fight, but that’s how things are shaping up with the FCC over its proposed oversight plans for the Internet. The FCC is looking at regulating the Internet like a telco, and under regulations that predate the invention of the Internet itself. But there are other views on how to best manage the Internet, including from the FCC’s chairman, reports Enterprise Networking Planet.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to begin the controversial process of reframing broadband service under communications law, a move aimed at clarifying the commission’s regulatory authority over the sector after a major legal setback.
By a three-to-two vote split along partisan lines, the FCC approved a notice of inquiry asking for comments from the public on how the agency should proceed with Chairman Julius Genachowski’s proposal to reclassify broadband as a regulated telecommunications service, while enacting checks against the commission’s oversight authority.