@Meerkat, @JordanRead, anyone seeking action re net neutrality:
The Federal Communications Commission is requesting comments on its proposed Net Neutrality rule through July 17.
The proposed rule, entitled "Restoring Internet Freedom" but more precisely called Notice of Proposed Rule Making WC Docket 17-108, is also called for short NPRM 17-108. Its text is 75 pages long, including remarks by the Commissioners, and may be found at the FCC link below.
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-60A1_Rcd.pdfThere are several dozen items, starting with what I think is Section III Part A Subpart 1 item 26 on page 9 of the linked pdf, in which FCC offers specific analyses and and requests comments about them. It seems that FCC's intent is to focus its consideration primarily on specific answers to these requests for comment, and ignore more general remarks that are not worded in response the these comment requests. To me it appears that the analyses are in themselves designed to support repealing the rules we normally call net neutrality.
As someone seeking to support net neutrality and oppose the proposed rule, I made a comment that the FCC's analysis in item 29 (III.A.29) was inaccurate, gave examples to support my statement, and offered a different conclusion. Obviously someone taking the opposite view could comment in support of the FCC's analysis.
Here is a link explaining how to make a comment. I followed the link in order to make the comment described above.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/27/how-to-comment-on-the-fccs-proposal-to-revoke-net-neutrality/Here is a link that takes you straight to the FCC's comment page without TechCrunch's explanation.
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/filings?proceedings_name=17-108Brief remarks on the rule's construction, and the Commissioners' commentary:
The rule refers frequently to Title II. I think Title II refers to Title II of the Telecommunications Act, the 1996 law from which FCC derives its ability to regulate telecom services. At issue is whether broadband internet service, these days the normal internet service at a consumer's house, should be considered a "telecommunications service" or an "information service". The law treats the two differently. If I understand correctly, the law expects telecommunications service to be subject to Title II and therefore to be treated as a "common carrier", a term which implies relatively heavy regulation requiring the carrier to treat customers more or less equally. The law distinguishes that from an information service, which does not need to be so heavily regulated. Previous rulemaking in 2015 classified internet service providers as telecommunications service. The current Notice of Proposed Rule Making plans to reclassify them as an information service.
At the end of the NPRM are remarks by the Commissioners themselves. Dissenting Commissioner Mignon Clyburn's remarks starting on page 62
are one of the most scathing comments about a regulation I've ever seen in a public setting could be viewed as an official analysis opposing the proposed rule.