FCC votes to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations in 3-2 decision
(The Star Canada)

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has voted on party lines to undo sweeping Obama-era “net neutrality” rules that guaranteed equal access to internet.The agency’s Democratic commissioners dissented in the 3-2 vote Thursday.The FCC’s new rules could usher in big changes in how Americans use the internet. The agency got rid of rules that barred companies like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from playing favourites with internet apps and sites.The broadband industry promises that the internet experience isn’t going to change. But protests have erupted online and in the streets as everyday Americans worry that cable and phone companies will be able to control what they see and do online.Net-neutrality supporters plan legal challenges. Some Democrats hope to ride that wave of public opinion into the 2018 elections.The U.S. Federation Communications Commission votes 3-2 along party lines to undo sweeping Obama-era ‘net neutrality’ rules that guaranteed equal access to internet.The move to deregulate the telecom and cable industry could be a major setback for tech companies, consumer groups and Democrats who lobbied heavily against the decision. It is also be a sweeping victory for Republicans who vowed to roll back the efforts of the prior administration, despite a recent survey showing that 83 per cent of Americans — including 3 out of 4 Republicans — opposed the plan.The move is a prominent example of the policy shifts taking place in Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump. With Republicans controlling the levers of government, federal policy has swung significantly to the right, in some respects eclipsing what would have been considered middle-of-the-road conservative positions just a decade ago, said Jeffrey Blumenfeld, co-chair of the antitrust and trade regulation practice at the law firm Lowenstein Sandler.“What we’re seeing now is a dramatic change not just from the Obam ...