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President Obama Ambiguously Re-Affirms Net Neutrality Support

As the net neutrality and Title II debate heats up, the President stopped by the conversation this week to offer his support of net neutrality -- yet fell well short of supporting a specific framework as to how to formally do so. During a Q&A during a public event in California on Thursday, the President stated that while he can't tell FCC boss Tom Wheeler what precisely to do, he wants to be sure that whatever the final rules are that they don't create "two or three or four tiers of Internet."

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"I made a commitment very early on that I am unequivocally committed to Net Neutrality,” the President said. "I think it is what has unleashed the power of the Internet, and we don’t want to lose that or clog up the pipes."

"I know that one of the things people are most concerned about is paid prioritization, the notion that somehow some folks can pay a little more money and get better service, more exclusive access to customers through the Internet: that is something I’m opposed to," Obama said.

The problem is that the FCC's net neutrality proposal would do just that. Much like the original rules now nullified after a legal fight with Verizon, Wheeler's initial replacement rules similarly blocked only the most egregious behavior (like blocking websites outright, something no ISP would do anyway) but aimed to give the green light to all manner of "creative" ISP pricing models for data and content access.

The President steered well clear of Title II, either for fear of confusing his audience or because the President knows the broadband industry is vehemently opposed to ISPs being classified as utilities (even if they've been eager for years to bill like utilities). Consumer advocates are unified in the support of reclassifying ISPs as utilities under Title II with forbearance (to prevent FCC over-reach), though the broadband industry has promised lawsuits if he follows that trajectory.

Most recommended from 22 comments



wdoa
join:2001-10-16
Spencer, MA

3 recommendations

wdoa

Member

If he was really in support of net neutrality....

..He never would have put a corporate stooge like Tom Wheeler on the FCC.

goalieskates
Premium Member
join:2004-09-12
land of big

2 recommendations

goalieskates

Premium Member

seriously? he said that?

quote:
"I made a commitment very early on that I am unequivocally committed to Net Neutrality,” the President said.
It's like reading The Onion, only Onion is funnier. What is the DC definition of "unequivocally" these days?