The death of net neutrality will happen on June 11, which is when the order of the Federal Communications Commission to end the rules will take effect.
It is important to know that the move to kill net neutrality will not just affect internet service providers, but that it will also have a significant effect on consumers. This is why there are still some groups fighting to save net neutrality, even after the FCC's announcement on when it will end.
What Is Net Neutrality?
The net neutrality rules, which were put in place by the FCC under former President Barack Obama, prevented internet service providers from throttling bandwidth, and from forcing consumers to pay an extra amount for access to specific websites and services.
When current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was appointed by President Donald Trump, repealing net neutrality was on to the top his agenda.
FCC Pushes For Net Neutrality Repeal
In a statement, Pai claimed that the internet was not broken in 2015, but Obama's FCC implemented what the current FCC Chairman described as "heavy-handed" Title II rules, which essentially categorized the internet as a public utility.
"It doesn't make sense to apply outdated rules from 1934 to the Internet, but that's exactly what the prior Administration did," Pai added. Opponents of net neutrality believe that the rules are an unnecessary regulation that stifles innovation.
Net neutrality advocates, meanwhile, fear that without the rules in place, internet service providers will create a tiered internet that throttles or even blocks certain services depending on how much the consumer is paying. Pai's argument that misdeeds by providers will be kept in check by the power of consumer choice is not viable, supporters also say. This is because in certain areas of the United States, there is a shortage of options on which provider to sign up with.
"This is shameful," said Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a colleague of Pai on the FCC, on Twitter after the announcement of the death of net neutrality on June 11. "The agency failed to listen to the American public and gave short shrift to their deeply held believe that internet openness should remain the law of the land."
Can We Save Net Neutrality?
Back in January, a proposal to save net neutrality from its repeal was started by a group of Democratic senators. The proposal was supported by 49 Democratic senators and one Republican senator and, with Sen. John McCain absent due to his cancer treatment, needs only one more vote to gain majority and be sent to the House of Representatives.
The proposal is moving along, but the real battle begins if and when it is forwarded to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. President Donald Trump will also have to sign on, the chances of which are not that high.
