The US Federal Communications Commission has outlined plans to increase oversight of broadband service providers. After the regulator lost a court case over sanctions against Comcast for managing its subscribers' internet traffic, the FCC looked at ways to increase its legal basis for regulating ISPs and ensuring a form of 'net neutrality'. Internet access providers to date have been classified as 'information providers' under the so-called Title I rules allowing lighter regulatory requirements. The FCC's now proposing that the stricter Title II regulations, which previously have only covered specific telecommunications services, be extended in part to ISPs. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said he sought a 'third way' of extending the regulator's legal authority while also avoiding burdensome regulation of the sector; a similar approach has already been used in the mobile industry. As a result, only the transmission component of internet access services will be regarded as a telecommunications service, and only Sections 201, 202, 208, 222, 254 and 255 of the Title II regulations will apply to ISPs. The FCC also pledged to put up "meaningful boundaries to guard against regulatory overreach". The new regulations will be opened to public comment before taking effect. ISPs and operators are likely to lobby against the plans, which are seen as an alarming reversal of the deregulation trend of the past 20 years. The TIA, CTIA and USTelecom lobby groups all said they were disappointed with the proposals, suggesting the new rules go beyond the FCC's authority and would put investments in broadband networks at risk.
