THREE LAKES, Wis. (WXPR) — The Federal Communications Commission last week voted “yes” on Internet neutrality rules. The three-to-two vote came along party lines.
Under the new set of rules, broadband Internet will be classified as a common carrier and will be regulated like a typical utility.
One person who watched the issue closely was Don Sidlowski of Three Lakes. He’s a government and civic activist for the Northwoods Broadband and Economic Development Coalition. He says he favored an open Internet and was positive for consumers. “Folks all across the country are going to have equal access to Internet content, it can’t be controlled by either the providers or the government. The fear there is that fees would be charged and some higher fees in certain areas of the country for access to certain kinds of Internet information.”
Sidlowski says another portion of the ruling also could have a big impact. The ruling makes it easier for municipalities to become Internet providers. They currently could, but he says they had so many hoops to jump through it wasn’t realistic. Those barriers have been removed. While many cash-strapped municipalities are not likely to jump into the market, Sidlowski thinks some might be able to.
The F-C-C ruling is expected to face a court appeal.
By Ken Krall, WXPR
