USA Today: Q&A’s about Obama’s open Internet plan
CDT’s Nuala O’Connor provides commentary for USA Today reporters Roger Yu and Mike Snider in their latest article, which boils down the net neutrality discussion in a few questions.
Obama’s recommendations come at an awkward time for the FCC, which has been looking at “hybrid” options that could appease – or upset – all parties.
The FCC is an independent agency and its commissioners – who were nominated by Obama – can decide on their own what they think is the best course. In late October, Wheeler tipped his hand on his thinking. “People familiar with” his plan told The Wall Street Journal that he wants to take a dual-pronged approach: a more stringent set of broadband-as-utility rules for Internet connections between ISPs and content providers and less heavy-handed rules for ISPs’ connection to end-users.
“We think there is more than one way to do it,” says Nuala O’Connor, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology. “Title II is arguably heavy-handed.”
