WS Chronicle

Imagine that you were driving on the interstate like everyone else, then a big semi-truck slows down in front of you, making you slow down. You ask, “Why is this happening?” Then imagine the answer is: Because you are not paying enough for access to the highway.

Think of “net neutrality” in that way. The Federal Communications Commission voted last month on the issue. This month, congressional hearings on the issue are expected to start on March 18. Republican lawmakers say they will push for a legislative fix.

The FCC voted to prevent cable and wireless companies who provide much of the broadband connections to the Internet, or “the highway,”  from controlling the flow of data based on money. Some companies want to slow the flow of data for people who cannot pay more for Internet access. The FCC said companies who provide Internet access are like telephone companies and should be treated as public utilities. That means that  the companies must not do anything considered “unjust and unreasonable” and must not work outside the public interest.

Right now, the Internet generally is being operated on equal footing. Companies are operating on a “net neutrality” premise in that they don’t show favoritism among similar types of Web traffic, and don’t intentionally slow or block data.

However, YouTube and Netflix, as in on-demand video, have been hogging bandwidth, and some providers were found to be manipulating traffic without telling consumers.

The FCC’s vote on Thursday, Feb. 26, was intended to erase any legal ambiguity by setting clear rules on what broadband providers can do.

Broadband companies want to make more money from customers who are willing to pay more for their Internet connections. They are expected to sue, which will delay a resolution to the issue. It’s likely they will seek a review by a judge and ask for a delay in implementing the rules. That could mean a resolution in 2016 or beyond.

New customers could be the ones affected the most by the slow resolution. Providers could be much less willing to offer new services to consumers if they think the FCC might get involved, industry officials say.

The Associated Press says that small Internet-based companies won a fight in Washington without deep pockets and lots of lobbyists. They did it by drumming up support among average Americans, who flooded the FCC with a record-breaking number of public comments. As an executive at Mozilla put it, “millions of people stood together as citizens of the Web to demand those strong protections.” President Barack Obama gushed that the FCC decision “wouldn’t have happened without Americans like you.”

The FCC prevented the quick implementation of the rules, but Republicans in Congress, who tend to lean toward Big Business, want to put in their own regulations.

People should monitor the congressional hearings this month and contact their U.S. lawmakers to launch a similar “keep net neutrality” campaign.