FCC Commissioner Speaks Out Against Internet Regulation

While FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has declared his proposal to regulate the internet as a telecommunications service, the rest of the Federal Communications Commission is not exactly decided. The FCC is set to vote on the proposal on February 26th, and FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai is distinctly opposed to the regulation. When speaking with “Bloomberg West,” Pai claims that the rules micromanage every aspect of the internet, and that they could lead to new taxes on broadband and the possibility of litigation. Pai argues that President Obama’s decision to encourage the FCC toward imposing stricter regulation back in November is driving Wheeler’s proposal, and not consumer interests. He points out that classifying the internet as a telecommunications service would open the door to extraneous fees for consumers, which could be raised at the discretion of the federal government. Pai states that America has managed broadband very well in the past, in part due to the fact that it was not a political issue. Are Pai’s concerns valid? Comment below. Video Source: Bloomberg News