WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality one year ago, gutting rules that prevented companies from intentionally slowing consumers’ web traffic.
Thousands submitted public comments expressing concerns. Under the new rules, a hypothetical internet provider affiliated with Netflix could drastically slow down speeds of its main competitor, Hulu.
Accessing certain websites at higher speeds could be tied to higher prices, leaving consumers and small businesses with tighter budgets at a disadvantage.
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But a year after the Republican-controlled FCC voted along party lines to dissolve net neutrality rules, consumers have not seen what was once described as the “end of the internet as we know it.”
Speeds have not slowed – special tiered pricing for faster access to specific websites hasn’t happened.
An analysis from tech magazine Wired attributes the continuation of the status quo to protracted legal battles – fights between corporations, advocacy groups and state attorneys general.
The continued litigation and the threat of consumer revolts are expected to keep things as they are, for now, until greater clarity can be established on the rules and rights governing consumer web access.
