The unending battle for internet neutrality has taken a decisive turn as Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler announced his new set of rules in order to maintain an open and fair Internet.
For a couple of years now, Wheeler has been a strong advocate of the "open internet" has imposed strong regulation towards the use of the internet. The regulations in turn has brought high-speed internet service to almost every American home and confronted big internet providers.
On Feb. 4, Wednesday, Wheeler took a big leap towards stronger regulation policy and even crossed the recommendation provided by President Barrack Obama who previously insisted in creating the "strongest possible rules" towards net neutrality, according to New York Times.
Wheeler's first proposal was to brand the Internet service as a public utility. He also added specific provisions in order to secure user privacy and insisted that the internet will be made available to people with disabilities and in remote areas.
Perhaps the most important provision that Wheeler announced was his plan to reclassify high-speed internet service as a telecommunications service rather than an information service as stipulated in the Title II of the Telecommunications Act.
"That is why I am proposing that the FCC use its Title II authority to implement and enforce open internet protections," Wheeler told Wired.
Among the long list of supporters for the Title II plan are major internet companies like Facebook, Amazon, Google and Netflix as well as a fair share of start-up companies and advocacy groups fighting for a free and open internet. These companies deemed that a stronger policy is needed in order to regulate the internet as it is becoming increasingly important in terms of communication and commerce.
Public Knowledge president Gene Kimmelman commended Wheeler's plan and called his proposal a "historic initiative" in order to keep the internet open and free.