Introduction to the RIO Special Issue on Net Neutrality

Excerpt

The U.S. Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) “Open Internet Order” (which was promulgated in 2015) is arguably the latest salvo in a debate that has raged for at least a century on whether and how to regulate access to networks with very high fixed costs. The FCC’s Order made two major changes to how the U.S. regulates broadband: First, it established broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) as “common carriers,” which would allow the government to regulate the service more heavily. Second, it established one version of “network neutrality,” which limits the ways in which ISPs can interact with and manage Internet traffic. For example, under the rules ISPs are not allowed to block sites or enter into paid prioritization agreements with particular sites. …