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11/27/2017
Pai Circulates Order Unwinding Title II Classification of ISPs
FCC chair Ajit Pai has followed through on his promise to roll back Title II classification of internet access providers, meaning they will no longer be considered common carriers subject to mandatory access requirements.
Related: House Republicans Say They'll Work for Permanent Net-Neutrality Rules
Pai has circulated an item to the other commissioners in advance of a planned Dec. 14 vote. He is expected to have the votes to pass it over strong Democratic opposition.
The item's circulation before the Thanksiving holiday was one of the worst kept secrets in Washington over the past few days as critics of the rollback prepared statements and planned protests.
Related: Demand Progress Plans Net-Neutrality Protests at Verizon Stores
Pai voted against the 2015 Open Internet order as a commissioner and signaled early on that the Title II classification was one of the regulatory weeds he planned to whack.
“Today, I have shared with my colleagues a draft order that would abandon this failed approach and return to the longstanding consensus that served consumers well for decades," said Pai. "Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the Internet. Instead, the FCC would simply require Internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that’s best for them and entrepreneurs and other small businesses can have the technical information they need to innovate.
