Federal regulators Tuesday outlined their plans for dismantling Obama-era open-internet rules, setting up a clear victory for cable and wireless firms that provide most internet service.
They would create a range of new opportunities for internet providers such as Verizon Communications Inc., Comcast Corp., Charter Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc., enabling them to form alliances with media and other online firms to offer web services at higher speeds and quality. They also would help clear the way for creative pricing and bundling of services to attract more customers.
The changes are expected to be approved at a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) meeting in mid-December.
“Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the Internet,” Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement, adding: “Working with my colleagues, I look forward to returning to the light-touch, market-based framework that unleashed the digital revolution and benefited consumers here and around the world.”
Telecom companies cheered the move.
Verizon said in a statement that it was “very encouraged” by Mr. Pai’s announcement. It added: “We continue to believe that users should be able to access the internet when, where, and how they choose….We are also confident that the FCC will reinstate a framework that protects consumers’ access to the open internet, without forcing them to bear the heavy costs from unnecessary regulation that chases away…