By Lalit K JhaWashington, Dec 14 (PTI) US regulators today voted torollback "net neutrality" rules that require internetproviders to treat all traffic equally.
The Federal Communications Commission, in a 3-2 vote,adopted a proposal by Republican appointed chairman Indian-American Ajit Pai.
The critics say the move is against the interest of theconsumers and favours big corporate companies.
By doing so, the Republican-majority commission hasreversed the 2015 "net-neutrality" ruled of the previous ObamaAdministration, which mandated upon all internet serviceproviders to treat all traffic equally, without blocking orshowing content.
The decision restores the longstanding, bipartisanlight-touch regulatory framework that has fostered rapidInternet growth, openness, and freedom for nearly 20 years,the FCC said in a statement after the voting.
Following detailed legal and economic analysis, as wellas extensive examination of comments from consumers andstakeholders, the Commission reversed the FCC's 2015 heavy-handed utility-style regulation of broadband Internet accessservice, which imposed substantial costs on the entireInternet ecosystem, it said.
In place of that heavy-handed framework, the FCC isreturning to the traditional light-touch framework that was inplace until 2015, it asserted.
Moreover, the FCC also adopted robust transparencyrequirements that will empower consumers as well as facilitateeffective government oversight of broadband providersÂ’conduct, it said.
"In particular, the FCC's action has restored thejurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission to act whenbroadband providers engage in anticompetitive, unfair, ordeceptive acts or practices," the federal commission said. PTILKJUZM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.