Pai Says 'Net Neutrality' Gives Government Control of Internet; Critics Lobby FCC Against Draft

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai went on The Joe Pags Show "to clear up confusion on net neutrality and his proposal to Restore Internet Freedom," tweeted FCC spokesman Brian Hart Friday. He noted Pai, when asked what net neutrality is, responded: "Part of the problem is that it is a very successful marketing slogan and that it sounds good and that it's also incapable of being defined. ... Ultimately what it means here at the FCC is government control of the internet. And the question is, do you want the successful, free market approach that we had from ... 1996 until 2015 where consumers and engineers and entrepreneurs decided how it would be governed? Or would you want bureaucrats and lawyers here in Washington to do it as happened after 2015?" Parties lobbied the FCC against Pai's draft order, according to filings posted Thursday and Friday in docket 17-108. The Computer & Communications Industry Association urged the FCC to keep its open internet rules and detailed concerns about relying on FTC oversight of broadband consumer protection, which Pai and others have touted, said a CCIA filing on meetings with aides to every non-chairman commissioner. Pai is proposing the FCC "abdicate its responsibilities" and allow broadband providers "to block, throttle, and force websites, applications and services to pay ... to avoid the slow lane" that providers will institute, Incompas said on a meeting with aides to Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn. "This fundamental policy shift takes control of the internet experience from each American and hands it over to AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and Charter." NARUC criticized the draft's proposed pre-emption of state broadband regulation. "Even where the order purports to preserve State’s 'traditional role in generally policing such matters as fraud, taxation, and general commercial dealings' the order provides an obvious opportunity for any bad actor to allege that -- whatever the state law or enforcement action is -- its 'administration . . . interfere[s] with federal regulatory objectives.' This is a prescription for wasteful and counter-productive litigation," NARUC said. Comcast, however, backed "a clear, affirmative ruling on federal preemption of state and local regulation" of broadband, said a company filing reporting a call with an aide to Commissioner Michael O'Rielly. Akamai urged a footnote tweak to help distinguish content delivery network services from paid prioritization, given "global regulatory implications." Among others criticizing the draft were the Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (here) and the California Association of School Business Officials (here).