With the amount of backlash that greeted the Federal Communications Commission after the recent proposed plan for net neutrality, Chairman Tom Wheeler has optioned to backtrack and revise the plan to make sure it stays in touch with what users of the web require.
The previous revision included what the FCC calls a "fast lane," where certain companies would be forced to pay Internet Service Providers so their users would have a faster connection to contents. If this plan came through, it would mean companies like YouTube and Facebook could be required to pay ISPs, or the Internet connection speed to those services would have likely been made slower.
The plan would have removed openness from the Internet and given ISPs greater control. In addition, it could mean that pipes that are usually free to use could end up attracting a price, and surely that would more than likely cause havoc on the web.
The new revision will be circulated today, as it seeks the comments from the agency's other commissioners. Once that is clear, voting should begin on Thursday to help determine the future of the web. Other commissioners had recommended that Wheeler delay the vote, but it appears nothing will stop it from happening come May 15.
It will not be easy for Wheeler in convincing others to go with his plan, but he has a strategy in place.
The discussion about net neutrality will be a lengthy one. While the FCC chairman claims that 'fast lanes' are just myth, opposition comes from all directions. The giants of the technology industry such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, among others pour all their efforts to lobby for the protection of the open Internet. There are also lawmakers that want to make sure the rights of the people are protected.
May 15 is just a few days away, and by the end of that day, we should have an idea of where net neutrality is headed, and whether or not web users will have to prepare themselves to dig deep into their pockets to access contents that were once free.
