The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted Thursday to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules.
The agency voted 3-2 along partisan lines to revive rules barring broadband providers from blocking or throttling internet traffic to some websites and speeding up access to others that pay extra fees.
The move brings broadband under the purview of the FCC by classifying it as telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act.
“Four years ago, the pandemic changed life as we know it,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said at Thursday’s commission meeting. “We were told to stay home, hunker down and live online. So much of work, school and healthcare migrated to the internet. If we wanted to engage with the world, we needed to do it all through a broadband connection.”
“It became clear that no matter who you are or where you live, you need broadband to have a fair shot at digital age success,” she continued. “It went from nice-to-have to need-to-have for everyone, everywhere. Broadband is now an essential service. Essential services — the ones we count on in every aspect of modern life — have some basic oversight.”
Net neutrality rules, initially passed during the Obama administration in 2015, were rolled back under former President Trump in 2017.
