The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday to regulate broadband Internet service as a public utility.
By a vote of 3 to 2, the FCC Commissioners adopted the basic concept of net neutrality that that prohibits Internet service providers from granting faster access to companies that pay for the privilege.
The long awaited net neutrality vote by the Federal Communications Commission was proclaimed a victory for open-internet activists .
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was one of the many people praising the FCC vote to ensure that access providers can't privilege certain websites and services over others.
Internet activist websites like Freepress.net proclaimed "Net Neutrality Victory" stating that the FCC vote was "the biggest victory for the public interest in the agency’s history."
How long will the victory last?
While some websites were declaring victory, CNN Money was reporting statements from Comcast that a bitter legal fight is coming. Comcast's executive vice president, David Cohen issued the warning that, "After today, the only 'certainty'... is that we all face inevitable litigation and years of regulatory uncertainty."
Comcast's threats to challenge the FCC on net neutrality illustrates the nature of the ongoing battle.
In December 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established a set of rules commonly known as net neutralit y that would forbid internet service providers from blocking or slowing online services, or favor their own services, at the expense of smaller rivals.
In January 2014 a federal appeals court overturned FCC rules requiring internet providers to treat all internet traffic the same. The ruling was based on a Verizon challenge of the FCC net neutrality rules in court.
The current FCC decision is subject to challenges in the courts as well as the US Congress.
The problem with net neutrality
Net neutrality illustrates the careful balance that is needed with government regulation.
With a public utility there is regulation to insure the companies act in the best interest of the people they serve. The concept of the internet is the ultimate in free enterprise and no government dependency.
With net neutrality, one side claims we need to be saved from the evils of big business, and the other side warns us of the dangers of government bureaucracy.
The debate over net neutrality is not always a clear cut battle of internet freedom fighters on one side and the giant telecoms like Verizon and Comcast on the other.
The open-internet freedom fighters can claim victory in this battle, but the fight is far from over.
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