Obama wants strict rules from FCC to guarantee net neutrality

US President Barack Obama urges the FCC to impose strict rules on providers that guarantee net neutrality. According to Obama, the FCC should therefore label internet access as an essential service with accompanying regulations.

According to the president, free access to the internet based on net neutrality is essential for citizens and for fair competition in business. Providers should therefore not be allowed to determine which services a user can or cannot access. ISPs should also not penalize companies, for example by making large companies pay for faster access.

Obama believes that the FCC should set strict rules to force providers to use net neutrality. For example, there should be a ban on the throttling of certain internet services by providers, while it should also no longer be allowed to give priority to certain companies for a fee. Furthermore, the complete blocking of services should be prohibited and providers should inform consumers in detail about their policy for the transfer of internet traffic.

According to the president, mobile operators must also adhere to the principles of net neutrality. According to the president, internet providers must therefore fall under the same regime as other ‘essential’ services, such as the telecom sector.

The FCC is in the process of drafting new rules around net neutrality. Providers who did not like the stricter rules successfully challenged an earlier decision by the regulator. A recently leaked proposal from the FCC is too weak, according to proponents of net neutrality. For example, providers would still be allowed to offer faster ‘rush hour lanes’ to companies for a fee. If the FCC does tighten up the rules, then with a Republican majority in both chambers, the question is whether they will last long.