Net neutrality tus 1: Here's everything you need to know (FAQ) - CNET

President Barack Obama joined the debate that November, supporting a plan to reclassify the rules goveing broadband. The three Democratic FCC commissioners pushed for the new rules, while the two Republican commissioners opposed them.

You're forgiven for not remembering all the details. It's pretty wonky, after all. To refresh your memory and to mark the one-year anniversary, we offer this FAQ and a reminder that all our stories on Net neutrality, including our exclusive interview with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, can be found here.

What is Net neutrality again?

Net neutrality is the idea that all traffic on the Inteet should be treated equally. This means your broadband provider, which controls your access to the Inteet, can't block or slow down the services or applications you use over the Web. It also means your Inteet provider can't create so-called fast lanes that force companies like Netflix to pay an additional fee to speed up delivery of content to you.

Sounds reasonable. Why is this controversial?

Although almost everyone involved agrees with the basic idea of Net neutrality, the FCC's rules have become a lightning rod for controversy. That's because the commission, under Wheeler, has reclassified broadband as a public utility. That change puts broadband providers under some of the same strict regulations that have goveed telephone networks for more than 80 years.

Before the ink even dried on the new regulations, telephone companies and cable operators banded together to sue the govement, arguing that the FCC doesn't have the authority to make such a drastic change. They say the new classification lets the FCC impose higher rates, which will discourage them from building or upgrading networks. The FCC says it doesn't have any plans to regulate rates or quash innovative business models. Wheeler said the only reason the agency reclassified broadband was to make sure it can fight legal challenges it expects from Inteet providers.

Why is this a big deal?

If the US Court of Appeals upholds the FCC's order, broadband providers can't block or slow down your access to the Inteet. They also won't be able to create fast lanes, where companies pay for priority access to deliver content and services to your home.

If the FCC loses, the agency could be stripped of its authority and be left unable to determine whether new business practices will harm consumers. One example is zero-rating. That's when broadband providers and wireless companies don't count data usage of specific apps and services against a customer's cap. Net neutrality supporters argue against the practice, saying it tus broadband providers into Inteet gatekeepers by encouraging consumers to use certain services instead of others. This, they say, ultimately hurts competition, innovation and consumer choice. The FCC is currently reviewing offers announced by AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and T-Mobile.

Where do the rules stand now?

The FCC's rules went into effect in June. The lawsuit was argued in federal court in December, and we're waiting for a decision later this spring. The case will be decided before the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, the same court that struck down the FCC's two previous attempts at Net neutrality, with one of the same judges.

Will Congress take action?

Right before the FCC's new regulations passed last year, Republicans led by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) pushed for legislation to derail them, but the effort stalled. House Republicans also attempted to cut off funding needed to implement the rules, but that effort failed too.

Opponents are re-energized, however. Earlier this month, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) introduced a bill called the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Inteet Access Act, forbidding the FCC from dictating how much companies can charge for broadband Net access.

What are the chances of the bill becoming law?

Net neutrality advocates say we don't need Kinzinger's legislation. The FCC's chairman has testified before Congress that the agency has no plans to regulate rates. He has also noted that the FCC added measures to its regulations that would prevent the commission from dictating rates in the future.

The bill's real aim, Net neutrality advocates say, is to strip the FCC of its ability to regulate any unfair practices on the Inteet.

"Under the Kinzinger bill, broadband providers could try to characterize any and every determination the FCC makes as a rate regulation," Matt Wood, policy director of the Free Press Action Fund, a nonprofit devoted to a diversity of voices in media, said in a column published by Bloomberg BNA.