{"id":12511,"date":"2014-05-16T17:12:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-16T21:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.publicknowledge.org\/uncategorized\/how-the-fccs-proposed-fast-lanes-would-actually-work\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T22:53:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T22:53:25","slug":"how-the-fccs-proposed-fast-lanes-would-actually-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicknowledge.org\/how-the-fccs-proposed-fast-lanes-would-actually-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How The FCC\u2019s Proposed Fast Lanes Would Actually Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, the FCC released its proposed open internet (net neutrality) rules<\/a>. Although both Chairman Wheeler and the proposal extensively discuss the problems that occur when ISPs get to choose winners and losers online, the proposed rules still create fast lanes and slow lanes on the internet. Read on to see just how these fast lanes and slow lanes would work.<\/p>\n

Minimum Level of Access (the Slow Lane)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything starts with what the order describes as a \u201cminimum level of access.\u201d This is the slow lane. The order asks questions about how to actually define this \u201cminimum level of access\u201d (more on that below), but the most charitable reading for now is that it is essentially what you currently get with your internet connection. That is, your current internet connection forms the benchmark for a level of access that ISPs cannot mess with. Your ISP cannot block content or degrade this connection within this minimum service. The rules aspire to make this level \u201csufficiently robust, fast, and dynamic for effective use by end users and edge providers.\u201d As described below, we\u2019re not sure that is possible.<\/p>\n

Everything Else (the Fast Lane)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you get outside of this minimum level of access, ISPs have a lot more flexibility to start cutting deals. This is the fast lane. ISPs are allowed to start selling fast lane service to whichever \u201cedge providers\u201d (that\u2019s services, sites, businesses, etc. that you would want to connect with online) they want (or none at all), as long as the deal they cut passes a \u201ccommercially reasonable\u201d test.<\/p>\n

The proposed rules try to define \u201ccommercially reasonable\u201d by using a multi-factor test. These factors include the impact on present and future competition, the impact on consumers, the impact on speech and civic engagement, technical characteristics, \u201cgood faith\u201d negotiation, industry practices, and \u201cother factors.\u201d As you read these factors you may start to think that they are pretty broad, and that the outcome of any one dispute would turn on who happened to be balancing them. This would be a reasonable conclusion. What is clear is that some kinds of discrimination will qualify as being commercially reasonable.<\/p>\n

A Two-Tier Internet<\/strong><\/p>\n

The result of this structure is a two-tier internet: a minimum level of access that ISPs cannot degrade, and a premium lane with plenty of flexibility for deal making. The FCC appears to assume that the \u201cminimum level of access\u201d will remain a vibrant space for innovation and communication. Unfortunately, this assumption is flawed. Yesterday\u2019s post had details of 5 reasons why this plan can never make sense<\/a>, so for today we can just focus on two.<\/p>\n

The Slow Lane Will Always Be Bad (Economic Reason)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This one is easy to understand. Once there is a split internet, ISPs have the incentive to push every new innovation towards the fast lane. Innovation in the fast lane means extra revenue, while innovation in the slow lane gets them nothing. Investments that would have gone into the entire network before the split will now only go into the fast lane. That means that the forces that have traditionally increased speeds for everyone will now be reserved for those who can pay extra.\u00a0 All the while, the slow lane just keeps getting slower in comparison.\u00a0 After all, a slow slow lane makes the premium fast lane an even better value!<\/p>\n

The Slow Lane Will Always Be Bad (Regulatory Reason)<\/strong><\/p>\n

One response to these economic forces would be to impose some sort of regulatory requirement of slow lane improvement. The FCC itself proposes three possible ways to do this: a best efforts delivery requirement, a minimum quantitative performance requirement, or an objective, evolving \u201creasonable person\u201d standard.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, none of these will protect a viable slow lane over time. As discussed in detail in yesterday\u2019s post<\/a>, none of these factors can take into account the innovation that we don\u2019t see in a split internet. \u00a0We simply don\u2019t have a way to account for all of the innovation that does not show up because it can\u2019t afford the fast lane to get off the ground. Beyond that, there will always be excuses for why the slow lane can\u2019t quite incorporate this improvement or that improvement, or why it is OK that the slow lane could not quite hit the benchmark it was supposed to.<\/p>\n

There is Still A Good Option<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the FCC\u2019s text introducing the proposed rules does a good job of explaining all of the problems with a non-open internet. But when it comes time to actually protect the open internet, the rules fall short. In large part, this is because the rules are bending over backwards to comply with the ruling from the DC Circuit earlier this year<\/a> that struck down the old open internet rules.<\/p>\n

But this path is not the only one available after the DC Circuit\u2019s ruling. If the FCC reclassifies broadband internet access as a Title II common carrier (there\u2019s that term again), it can just prevent ISP discrimination outright. Under Title II, there it no need to create a fast lane that allows \u201ccommercially reasonable\u201d agreements and a slow lane where everything is treated equal. Instead, content can just be treated equally.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we are urging the FCC to take steps to actually protect an open internet. And why you should too<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Image credit flickr u<\/a><\/em>ser RS Sinclair<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, the FCC released its proposed open internet (net neutrality) rules. Although both Chairman Wheeler and the proposal extensively discuss the problems that occur when ISPs get to choose winners and losers online, the proposed rules still create fast lanes and slow lanes on the internet. Read on to see just how these fast lanes and slow lanes would work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-12511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insights","tag-net-neutrality"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow The FCC\u2019s Proposed Fast Lanes Would Actually Work - Public Knowledge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. 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