Net Neutrality

What It Means

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers must treat all internet traffic equally, without blocking, throttling, or prioritizing specific websites, services, applications, or traffic types. The U.S. regulatory history has been contentious. The FCC first codified net neutrality in the 2010 Open Internet Order, which was partially overturned in court. In 2015 under Chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC reclassified ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, a move that provided strong legal authority to enforce net neutrality rules. In 2017, under Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC voted 3-2 to repeal the Title II reclassification in its Restoring Internet Freedom Order. In April 2024, under Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC voted 3-2 to restore Title II classification and net neutrality rules. The 2024 restoration faces ongoing legal challenges in the Sixth Circuit. Several states have enacted their own net neutrality laws, most notably California SB 822 (2018), which imposes strict non-discrimination rules on any ISP serving California customers. The core commercial debate is whether ISPs should be allowed to charge content providers like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ for "fast lane" prioritized delivery, proponents of net neutrality argue this would distort the internet into a pay-to-play hierarchy, while opponents argue market pricing for premium quality of service is efficient. Net neutrality does not directly affect Broadband Grade scoring but shapes the regulatory environment ISPs operate in.

Frequently Asked Questions