Ahead of the net neutrality vote in Congress, predictably, representatives for the service provider spoke against the proposed law while representatives of many internet companies and websites, such as David Karp of Tumblr, support the legislation.
The net neutrality law was proposed by FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, and would forbid any internet service provider from manipulating online content to pressure consumers. If passed, the law would create a regulatory environment for internet similar to that of phones, where no company is allowed to achieve excessive dominance in the industry.
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Former FCC chairman, who is now president of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Michael Powell, told CNBC he thought the new law was a “sad example of unreasoned decision making, ” and said President Obama’s supporting the legislation on a YouTube video “was shocking and put the FCC in an untenable position.”
Senators Al Franken and Brian Schatz have been vocal in their support for net neutrality. Franken emphasized that, far from creating complications, net neutrality would keep things as they are now, with a free and open internet. Tumbler CEO David Karp said net neutrality would improve internet quality by “making sure there is a competitive market for carriers, where they are competing to deliver us the fastest, best internet we can access with modern technology.”
It is not surprising that AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson is not thrilled about net neutrality, and said it would lead to “regulating internet end to end” and increase litigation.
