{"id":12557,"date":"2014-09-25T13:51:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-25T17:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.publicknowledge.org\/uncategorized\/reliability-rather-than-rainbows-why-strong-title-ii-remains-the-best-option-for-an-open-internet\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T23:21:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T23:21:39","slug":"reliability-rather-than-rainbows-why-strong-title-ii-remains-the-best-option-for-an-open-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicknowledge.org\/reliability-rather-than-rainbows-why-strong-title-ii-remains-the-best-option-for-an-open-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Reliability Rather Than Rainbows: Why Strong Title II Remains the Best Option For an Open Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a blog post<\/a> describing the \u201crainbow of policy and legal options\u201d available to protect the open Internet, contrasting them to other \u201cmonochromatic options.\u201d Reading this blog post reminded me of the quote apocryphally (and incorrectly) attributed to Winston Churchill<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAmericans will always do the right thing \u2013 after exhausting all the other alternatives.\u201d While I applaud the FCC moving in the right direction on policy, I hope the FCC does not exhaust itself chasing the policy rainbow when the right thing \u2013 drab and monochromatic as it might be \u2013 continues to stare them in the face.<\/p>\n

On the positive side, the FCC\u2019s blog post reflects an understanding that the FCC\u2019s original proposal from May<\/a>, permitting paid prioritization (aka \u201cFast Lanes\u201d) under a \u2018commercial reasonableness\u2019 standard will not do the job of protecting the open Internet<\/a>. The political reality has also shifted, thanks to a tremendous public outcry in favor of recognizing that broadband is the essential service of the 21st<\/sup> Century, a fundamental service that everyone increasingly relies on and therefore \u2013 to use the legal expression \u2013 is affected with the public interest. Wheeler\u2019s own writing on the network compact<\/a> likewise recognizes this fundamental principle, which has made his resistance to embracing Title II and insistence on exhausting all other option all the more frustrating.<\/p>\n

Judging by the FCC\u2019s blog post, we have made progress since May. Title II has gone from a reluctant inclusion in response to public outcry to something \u201cvery much on the table.\u201d But the FCC continues to look for something that will spare it the embarrassment of admitting the agency went down the wrong path ten years ago when it reclassified broadband as a Title I information service, and continues to be distracted by its bright shiny new Section 706 authority.<\/p>\n

We Need Reliable Rules, Not Colorful Gimmicks<\/strong><\/p>\n

The FCC points to two sets of principles, one submitted by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the other from a coalition of Library Associations and Higher Education Organizations, that could replace the \u201ccommercial reasonableness\u201d standard initially proposed by the Commission. Public Knowledge agrees with the principles outlined in both sets of comments (both of which, incidentally, favor reclassification of broadband as Title II telecommunications service). But principles, without a solid basis of authority, cannot adequately protect the public.<\/p>\n

The FCC blog post also points to filings by AT&T recommending an approach based solely on Section 706.\u00a0 Setting aside our overall concern that AT&T\u2019s proposal continues to lack critical details, we do not believe an approach based purely on Section 706 can work because of the \u201ccommon carrier prohibition.\u201d As we have explained since the D.C. Circuit issued its net neutrality decision last January<\/a>, the \u201ccommon carrier prohibition\u201d makes it impossible for the FCC to ban any specific practice (like blocking or discriminating) because that would amount to \u201ctreating all traffic the same\u201d and thus violate the \u201ccommon carrier prohibition<\/a>\u201d that prevents the FCC from treating a Title I information service provider like a Title II telecommunications service provider. The more effective a rule gets at banning a specific practice, or limiting the ability of carriers to discriminate between different types of content and applications, the more likely the rule is to get struck down \u2013 either now or when the FCC tries to apply it.<\/p>\n

To avoid this common carrier prohibition, AT&T proposes leaving carriers sufficient \u201cflexibility\u201d so that a ban on paid prioritization does not mandate treating all traffic equally. Or, in other words, any rule under Section 706 must have sufficient loopholes to defeat the very purpose of having a rule \u2013 preventing broadband access providers from picking winners and losers. It does no good to ban a specific practice like paid prioritization if doing so creates new ways for carriers to favor some content or applications over others.<\/p>\n

Other Flavors of Title II Carry Greater Risk For No Reward.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The FCC points to other proposals that either classify broadband as Title II and then rely on Section 706 for the actual rulemaking authority – so called \u201chybrid\u201d proposals, or which classify one part of the Internet traffic as Title II but leave the \u201clast mile\u201d between the subscriber and the broadband access provider as a Title I information service (see\u00a0here<\/a>). These proposals do address the common carrier prohibition, but they come with problems of their own.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, relying on either a hybrid approach that classifies broadband access as Title II but uses Section 706 authority for actual rules, or relying on classifying the \u201csender side\u201d of broadband (the part from an edge provider to the broadband access provider) as a telecommunications service while leaving the residential subscriber side an information service, shifts the focus away from protecting the public to promoting competition and investment. Certainly consumers benefit from competition, and from stimulating investment in broadband infrastructure and deployment (the purpose of Section 706). But Title II is not just about promoting investment or protecting competition. It is primarily a consumer protection statute, and contains many provisions specifically targeted at protecting consumers from corporate abuses, such protecting consumer privacy and truth-in-billing.<\/p>\n

We do not want the basic service of the 21st<\/sup> Century managed for the benefit of companies \u2013 wherever they reside in the Internet supply chain \u2013 with the expectation that benefits to the public will somehow \u2018trickle down\u2019 from the right set of business oriented rules. A foundation that starts with the companies and moves backward to consumers starts in the wrong place.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, because the various \u201chybrid\u201d and \u201csender side\u201d approaches are complex and untested, they invite carriers to play games and find loopholes. But it is unclear what benefit this added complexity and associated risk provides, other than allowing the FCC to avoid the embarrassment of admitting that 10 years ago it made a mistake when it decided to deregulate broadband by reclassifying it as an information service. Like the motorist who would rather stay lost rather than ask for directions, the Commission\u2019s refusal to simply reverse its previous mistake threatens to take our future broadband policy in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

To repeat, it is a good thing to see the FCC moving in the right direction. But there is no need to go chasing a \u201crainbow\u201d of options when the most effective way to protect the open Internet is sitting right in front of us. It may be all boring and \u201cmonochromatic,\u201d but sometimes reality is like that. It is time for the FCC to admit there is no pot of gold at the end of the policy rainbow. And, having exhausted every other alternative, the FCC should do the right thing and classify broadband as a Title II service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a blog post describing the \u201crainbow of policy and legal options\u201d available to protect the open Internet, contrasting them to other \u201cmonochromatic options.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"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-12557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insights","tag-net-neutrality"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReliability Rather Than Rainbows: Why Strong Title II Remains the Best Option For an Open Internet - 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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