Net Neutrality: Doing The Same Thing Over And Over Again And Expecting A Different Result

Author

Jonathan Cannon

Policy Counsel, Technology and Innovation

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This study was originally written for Competition Policy International.

01 – Introduction

After spending years dormant, the maligned issue of the regulatory classification of broadband internet access service (“BIAS”) — often encapsulated in the concept of “net neutrality” — has emerged from its slumber. This time, the net neutrality hydra has grown several new heads, with the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) justifying the newly enacted rule on the grounds of public safety, privacy, national security, and more, intending to transform the internet’s current light-touch regulatory system into a far more heavy-handed one. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr describes the new rule as “freewheeling micromanagement by government bureaucrats.”

In this article, we explore this issue through the lens of its complex history and explain the negative implications that reclassifying broadband service would have on internet innovation and investment. We also discuss the role each branch of government might play in resolving this issue.

Read the full study here.