Net Neutrality Rules Now In Effect

Friday marked a major milestone in the high-speed Internet world as new FCC rules went into effect to prevent broadband companies from selling portions of their network at a premium for faster speeds to customers.

Maintaining equal treatment for all Internet content – a phrase known as “net neutrality” – prohibits the preferential treatment.

From the Mercury News:

Rules that treat the Internet like a public utility and prevent companies from blocking or slowing down some online traffic will go into effect Friday after a federal appeals court refused to delay them.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said it won’t postpone implementation of the net neutrality regulations even though AT&T, Verizon, and other companies are fighting against them. The panel said the United States Telecom Association, the plaintiffs in the case, did not satisfy the requirements for a stay.

ComputerWorld offers a look at four things to keep an eye on as the debate moves forward. Questions they answer include:

• What happens now with the rules?
• What does the appeals court ruling against the delay requests mean for the lawsuits?
• What happens now with the lawsuit?
• What will the broadband groups argue before the court?

Read more at this link.