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Rubio, Cruz Try to Kill Neutrality on 1 Year Rule Anniversary

Presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have decided to celebrate the one year anniversary of the FCC's net neutrality rules -- by once again trying to kill them. Cruz and Rubio have joined six other Senators in pushing the new Restoring Internet Freedom Act (pdf), which would dismantle the rules, walk-back the FCC's Title II reclassification of ISPs as common carriers, and prevent the FCC from trying to pass net neutrality rules in the future. You know, for the benefit of the American consumer.

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In a statement posted to the Rubio website, the Presidential hopeful states the new law is necessary because the FCC's "burdensome" net neutrality rules are destroying innovation, diversity, and network investment:
quote:
“The Internet has always been one of the best models of the free market,” said Rubio. “There are low barriers to entry, back and forth communication between consumers and providers, and a rapid evolution of ideas. “Through burdensome regulations and tight control like the net neutrality rule, the government only hinders accessibility and the diversity of content,” added Rubio. “Consumers should be driving the market, and we can help by encouraging innovation, incentivizing investment, and promoting the competitive environment this industry needs."
Right. A few problems with that statement. One, the telecom market specifically is not free. It's a collection of duopolists that pay state and federal lawmakers to protect their uncompetitive stranglehold over the last mile after a generation of unaccountable subsidies and rampant cronyism. Two, the rules aren't "burdensome," since by and large the FCC hasn't bothered to enforce them, which is why companies like Comcast are happily using usage caps and zero rating to violate neutrality and give their own services an advantage against Netflix.

And while it's a perfectly sensible position to argue that broadband competition should make net neutrality rules unnecessary in an ideal world (as in, ISPs couldn't engage in bad behavior if customers had alternative broadband providers to switch to), by and large most politicians opposing net neutrality aren't willing to upset the nation's most powerful telecom operators (AT&T, Verizon, Comcast) in order to make that actually happen.

As a result we wind up with efforts like this one that aim to walk back one of the biggest consumer protection efforts in the last fifteen years (which, it should be reiterated, actually has broad bipartisan support), but no substantive follow up efforts to bring real broadband competition to bear. This usually walks hand in hand with pretending the broadband market has no shortcomings whatsoever.

Most recommended from 32 comments



mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

40 recommendations

mixdup

Member

Free market..

Yes, the internet, created by government funded universities and government funded military research institutes, built up in the 90s on a nationwide network of government-mandated and government-subsidized telephone lines and in the 00s on government-sanctioned cable television monopolies is a great model for zero government interference.

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT
·StarLink

28 recommendations

SimbaSeven

Member

Ahh.. Republicans..

Yet another clueless bunch on how the Internet actually works. Not to mention, they're bought and paid for by corporations.

If this crap actually goes through, I'm done. This proves that this great country has been bought and paid for by greedy, unethical, and downright nasty corporations.
bcltoys
join:2008-07-21

26 recommendations

bcltoys

Member

Aaa

Fuck both of the asshole's. Bastard's

GlennLouEarl
3 brothers, 1 gone
Premium Member
join:2002-11-17
Richmond, VA

11 recommendations

GlennLouEarl

Premium Member

Hey!

They've got to at least make it look like they're giving their lobbyists their money's worth, don't they?

Curley
join:2002-04-10
USA

9 recommendations

Curley

Member

Serving Corporations $1 at a time

Just one more thing to throw on the scrap heap to roll back that corporations don't want. Its good to see that they are serving the american public corporations.

Flyonthewall
@teksavvy.com

8 recommendations

Flyonthewall

Anon

The title of that bill is an oxymoron

Doesn't it mean the complete opposite of what it is purported to do? The ONLY freedom I think they want to restore is the freedom to gouge and squeeze. Sign them up as pro-wrestlers, those guys do plenty of gouging and squeezing.

Mike
Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA

7 recommendations

Mike

Mod

The supporters of neutrality

have elected to not take sides
F34R
join:2007-10-29
Barnwell, SC

4 recommendations

F34R

Member

Tweeted

Gave him a nice tweet asking him to educate himself on this before singing any legislation.