FCC Releases Full Neutrality Rules

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I. PRESERVING THE FREE AND OPEN INTERNET..............................................................1
II. THE NEED FOR OPEN INTERNET PROTECTIONS .........................................................11
A. The Internet’s Openness Promotes Innovation, Investment, Competition, Free
Expression, and Other National Broadband Goals............................................................13
B. Broadband Providers Have the Incentive and Ability to Limit Internet Openness ...........20
C. Broadband Providers Have Acted to Limit Openness.......................................................35
D. The Benefits of Protecting the Internet’s Openness Exceed the Costs..............................38
III. OPEN INTERNET RULES.....................................................................................................43
A. Scope of the Rules .............................................................................................................44
B. Transparency .....................................................................................................................53
C. No Blocking and No Unreasonable Discrimination ..........................................................62
D. Reasonable Network Management....................................................................................80
E. Mobile Broadband.............................................................................................................93
F. Other Laws and Considerations.......................................................................................107
G. Specialized Services ........................................................................................................112
IV. THE COMMISSION’S AUTHORITY TO ADOPT OPEN INTERNET RULES ...............115
A. Section 706 of the 1996 Act Provides Authority for the Open Internet Rules ................117
B. Authority to Promote Competition and Investment In, and Protect End Users of,
Voice, Video, and Audio Services...................................................................................124
C. Authority to Protect the Public Interest Through Spectrum Licensing ...........................133
D. Authority to Collect Information to Enable the Commission to Perform Its
Reporting Obligations to Congress..................................................................................136
E. Constitutional Issues........................................................................................................138
V. ENFORCEMENT..................................................................................................................151
A. Informal Complaints........................................................................................................153
B. Formal Complaints ..........................................................................................................154
C. FCC Initiated Actions......................................................................................................160
Federal Communications Commission FCC 10-201
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VI. EFFECTIVE DATE, OPEN INTERNET ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND
COMMISSION REVIEW......................................................................................................161
VII.PROCEDURAL MATTERS .................................................................................................164
A. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis..............................................................................164
B. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis ...................................................................165
C. Congressional Review Act ..............................................................................................167
D. Data Quality Act..............................................................................................................168
E. Accessible Formats..........................................................................................................169
VIII.ORDERING CLAUSES.......................................................................................................170
APPENDIX A—Substantive Rules
APPENDIX B—Procedural Rules
APPENDIX C—List of Commenters
APPENDIX D—Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis