House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle,​ D-Pa., told a New America conference FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s net neutrality proposal won’t just roll back rules to before the 2015 regulations, it will mean “turning the clock back to zero.” Pai is wrong that getting rid of the rules will mean “business as usual” for the internet, Doyle said. At around the same time Tuesday, an anti-Title II panel was held (see 1712050035). Pai made the opposite point to Doyle in a speech to an International Institute of Communications meeting in Washington.

House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle,​ D-Pa., told a New America conference FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s net neutrality proposal won’t just roll back rules to before the 2015 regulations, it will mean “turning the clock back to zero.” Pai is wrong that getting rid of the rules will mean “business as usual” for the internet, Doyle said. At around the same time Tuesday, an anti-Title II panel was held (see 1712050035). Pai made the opposite point to Doyle in a speech to an International Institute of Communications meeting in Washington.

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).

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).

Net neutrality advocates hope they can thwart an FCC plan to undo Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act, despite Republican commissioner support for a draft order. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and others at a Public Knowledge event Wednesday sought to galvanize opposition to the draft Chairman Ajit Pai circulated for a Dec. 14 vote. "We're going to need all of your help," Markey said. "I would urge everyone to consider ways in which we can get the item removed from the December agenda," said Sarah Morris, New America's Open Technology Institute open internet policy director. "The public outcry has been incredibly strong."

Net neutrality advocates hope they can thwart an FCC plan to undo Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act, despite Republican commissioner support for a draft order. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and others at a Public Knowledge event Wednesday sought to galvanize opposition to the draft Chairman Ajit Pai circulated for a Dec. 14 vote. "We're going to need all of your help," Markey said. "I would urge everyone to consider ways in which we can get the item removed from the December agenda," said Sarah Morris, New America's Open Technology Institute open internet policy director. "The public outcry has been incredibly strong."

The FCC and DOJ defended the commission's "reasonable" order to largely deregulate business data services of large telcos from "imprecise and costly-to-administer price caps." After "voluminous data collection and 12 years of rulemaking," the commission "used carefully considered benchmarks to identify competitive markets where the costs of ex ante pricing regulation -- such as deterring pro-consumer innovation and investment -- exceed the benefits," said the brief to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Citizens Telecommunications v. FCC, No. 17-2296. Information collection for the order was cleared by the Office of Management and Budget for three years, effective Wednesday, said a commission rule to be published in that day's Federal Register. FCC/DOJ said "contrary" to some "petitioners' contentions" the commission didn't entirely deregulate any BDS offerings in dispute: "Rather, the Commission reasonably predicted that in certain markets, prices could be adequately constrained through a combination of market forces and the agency’s customer-initiated 'fast-track' complaint process. The FCC’s decision, based on careful cost-benefit analysis, to move incrementally from ex ante ratemaking to ex-post review of prices was neither arbitrary nor capricious." The brief was filed Nov. 17 under seal and the public version was posted Monday on the agency's website. Three briefs filed Monday remained under seal in the 8th Circuit docket (via Pacer): an "intervenor" brief by Comcast and NCTA; an "amicus/intervenor" brief by AT&T, CenturyLink and USTelecom; and an "amicus/intervenor" brief by Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee, BT Americas, Granite Telecommunications, Incompas, Sprint and Windstream. Ad Hoc, Sprint and other petitioners argued the action deregulated too broadly, and Citizens and CenturyLink said a 2 percent "X-factor" rate cut for remaining regulated BDS offerings overstated productivity gains (see 1709280035 and 1710050021).

The FCC and DOJ defended the commission's "reasonable" order to largely deregulate business data services of large telcos from "imprecise and costly-to-administer price caps." After "voluminous data collection and 12 years of rulemaking," the commission "used carefully considered benchmarks to identify competitive markets where the costs of ex ante pricing regulation -- such as deterring pro-consumer innovation and investment -- exceed the benefits," said the brief to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Citizens Telecommunications v. FCC, No. 17-2296. Information collection for the order was cleared by the Office of Management and Budget for three years, effective Wednesday, said a commission rule to be published in that day's Federal Register. FCC/DOJ said "contrary" to some "petitioners' contentions" the commission didn't entirely deregulate any BDS offerings in dispute: "Rather, the Commission reasonably predicted that in certain markets, prices could be adequately constrained through a combination of market forces and the agency’s customer-initiated 'fast-track' complaint process. The FCC’s decision, based on careful cost-benefit analysis, to move incrementally from ex ante ratemaking to ex-post review of prices was neither arbitrary nor capricious." The brief was filed Nov. 17 under seal and the public version was posted Monday on the agency's website. Three briefs filed Monday remained under seal in the 8th Circuit docket (via Pacer): an "intervenor" brief by Comcast and NCTA; an "amicus/intervenor" brief by AT&T, CenturyLink and USTelecom; and an "amicus/intervenor" brief by Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee, BT Americas, Granite Telecommunications, Incompas, Sprint and Windstream. Ad Hoc, Sprint and other petitioners argued the action deregulated too broadly, and Citizens and CenturyLink said a 2 percent "X-factor" rate cut for remaining regulated BDS offerings overstated productivity gains (see 1709280035 and 1710050021).

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican colleagues made the case Tuesday for repeal of Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act (see 1711220026). Return to "regulatory restraint" of Title I broadband treatment would promote investment and innovation while protecting consumers and competition, including through transparency rules and renewed FTC broadband enforcement, Pai said in a speech at an R Street and Lincoln Network event. He defended his proposed draft ruling and orders against criticisms, including from Hollywood celebrities, and went on the offensive against internet edge providers, which he said were a bigger threat to an open internet than broadband ISPs were. Edge entities disagreed with the criticism.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican colleagues made the case Tuesday for repeal of Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act (see 1711220026). Return to "regulatory restraint" of Title I broadband treatment would promote investment and innovation while protecting consumers and competition, including through transparency rules and renewed FTC broadband enforcement, Pai said in a speech at an R Street and Lincoln Network event. He defended his proposed draft ruling and orders against criticisms, including from Hollywood celebrities, and went on the offensive against internet edge providers, which he said were a bigger threat to an open internet than broadband ISPs were. Edge entities disagreed with the criticism.