FCC Chief Seen Edging Toward 'Net Neutrality' Rules
A speech scheduled for Monday by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is being closely watched by both sides of a debate over "network neutrality" — a term describing a world in which Internet service providers can't charge different rates for different levels of service.
There is speculation that Genachowski, long a supporter of "net neutrality," will announce that the FCC plans to begin a process to create those rules. He's scheduled to address the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
Both sides of the debate agree that regulations would have a profound effect on the future of the Internet.
Right now, Internet users have effectively been living in a world where net neutrality prevails.
That means that no matter what Web site users visit, they get the same speed of service. Videos on YouTube load just as quickly as videos from Vimeo. The Amazon.com site is just as fast as the site for the mom-and-pop bookstore down the street.
But ISPs such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T would like to be able to charge YouTube, Vimeo, Amazon, and mom and pop more if they want a faster connection.
For instance, if AT&T made a deal with YouTube, watching YouTube videos via AT&T might be faster and easier than watching the same videos on Vimeo. And big players such as Amazon will undoubtedly have a high-speed advantage over mom and pop.
In the past, Genachowski has expressed support for regulations that would prevent ISPs from creating tiers of service.
As a technology adviser to President Obama during the campaign, he was pivotal in convincing candidate Obama to come out in support of network neutrality rules.
Genachowski's position has the backing of major Internet companies such as Google, Yahoo and eBay, but this is not a debate between corporate giants.
Consumer groups such as Public Knowledge have come out in support of net neutrality, as have many small business alliances that fear that small startups will be at a disadvantage if the ISPs can determine which Web sites get faster service.
In effect, supporters of net neutrality say the ISPs want to be gatekeepers and act more like cable TV companies that charge consumers extra to access "premium" channels such as HBO and Showtime.
Net neutrality also has the support of political groups from both sides of the spectrum. Two unlikely bedfellows, the right-leaning Christian Coalition and left-leaning MoveOn.org support FCC regulations in favor of net neutrality on free speech grounds. Grass-roots political groups worry that ISPs would be able to slow down connections to groups with unpopular points of view.
ISPs are vehemently against any kind of government regulation of the Internet. They believe that federal officials should continue with a hands-off approach and let the market determine the future shape of the online world.
ISPs also argue that charging for different tiers of service will help them achieve a goal that President Obama is strongly behind: bringing high-speed service to large numbers of people. Comcast, Time Warner and AT&T all say that they need more capital to bring consumers better service, and that the best way to get the money is to charge for different tiers of access.
If Genachowski does announce plans to start the process rolling for net neutrality rules, nothing is likely to happen overnight. Both sides expect there will be hearings and plenty of back and forth before the FCC takes any action.
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LIANE HANSEN, host:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Liane Hansen.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is scheduled to make a speech tomorrow at the Brookings Institution here in Washington, D.C. He will address the subject of network neutrality. Now, it sounds a bit geeky, but if the FCC takes action on this issue, it will affect every American's access to the Internet.
NPR's Laura Sydell is following this story and she joins us. Laura, first, what is network neutrality?
LAURA SYDELL: Well, it's actually what we already have on the net. Basically, you get on, right? You go to a Web site and no matter whose Web site it is, it comes up quick and it comes up easy. The concern is that essentially what the ISPs would do - Time Warner or Comcast - might start to actually implement something like tiered service.
So, for example, you have Amazon. You go there to buy a book and you have mom and pop's bookstore, right? And you can go to each one and it's pretty much the same speed. What would happen is they might actually start to charge Amazon extra money for a faster connection; they'd make a deal. So, that means you'd go to Amazon, the connection would be really fast; you go to mom and pop's bookstore, the connection wouldn't be so fast.
Now, this would kind of change the game. And it's interesting. Lining up on one side are the cable companies and the telecoms, and they're the ones who don't want any regulation that would put an end to the way things are. They want to just be able to do this the way they'd like to do it. On the other side, you have companies like Google, Yahoo!, consumer advocacy groups and the Christian Coalition.
HANSEN: Laura, why does the Christian Coalition support net neutrality?
SYDELL: They're concerned that Comcast or your ISP, whoever it is, would actually start to regulate speech in some way. So, even though one would think this might be a conservative/liberal issue, it's not. You also have MoveOn.org, for example, and the Christian Coalition supporting network neutrality.
HANSEN: Does the FCC chairman support this, and if so, why?
SYDELL: Yeah, he has actually been a big supporter. And he actually advised then-candidate Obama on this issue. And President Obama has been a strong supporter of network neutrality and stuck behind this issue, unlike the previous administration, which was more hands-off about it.
HANSEN: Elaborate on why cable and telecom companies oppose it.
SYDELL: Well, basically, there's an issue here where they say the government should just let the market do exactly what the market wants to do on this issue. So, everything has gone fine so far on the Internet, the government shouldn't regulate anything.
They also say - and this has been, for President Obama, this has been very, very important. He says he wants more and more people to be able to get access to broadband. And they're saying the only way they're going to be able to afford to do this, to give people high-speed Internet access and faster Internet access is, in fact, if they can charge more. So, the only way they're going to be able to do that is if they have some kind of tiered service.
HANSEN: Tell us in, if you can, in the few seconds we have left, why are people are interested in the speech and what happens afterwards?
SYDELL: Well, essentially, he has said in the past that he supports some kind of regulation of the Internet and keeping it as it is. And there is a lot of speculation that in his speech, he's going to announce that the FCC is actually going to begin the process of making rules to enforce network neutrality.
HANSEN: And then what happens?
SYDELL: Well, then what will begin is probably a long process. As so many things happen in the government, it won't happen tomorrow. There's likely to be public hearings, members of Congress could weigh in and so forth. So nothing is likely to happen very quickly.
HANSEN: NPR's Laura Sydell, thanks a lot.
SYDELL: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
