Staff Reports
The Washington Times – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had a brain blast and enacted some new rules aimed at evening the playing field when it comes to accessing the internet. These rules are supposedly going to be the first big digital civil rights policy in the USA, according to the officials who are all about it.
FCC adopts rules to eliminate ‘digital discrimination’ for communities with poor internet access https://t.co/yNNYjtECj4 pic.twitter.com/kuDZ6TuG1I
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 27, 2023
So, this wacky rules package, which the commission gave the thumbs up earlier this month, is supposed to give the agency authority to check into any discrimination by broadband providers against different communities based on things like income, race, ethnicity, and other protected classes. The order also is supposed to give the FCC a plan to handle all sorts of digital unfairness, like differences in the services different neighborhoods get and the “digital divide,” which is a fancy way of saying that some folks don’t have any internet access because things aren’t fair due to where they live or how much money they have.
The big kahuna over at the FCC, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, says that Congress made the agency put these rules in place because of a bipartisan infrastructure plan that got a thumbs up right at the start of the Biden administration.
Rosenworcel says, “The digital divide puts us at an economic disadvantage as a country and disproportionately affects communities of color, lower-income areas, and rural areas. We know broadband is essential infrastructure for modern life, and these rules will bring us one step closer to ensuring everyone has access to the internet, no matter who they are or where they live.”
The FCC also found that poorer, less white neighborhoods get lower investments in internet stuff and have worse deals than whiter and richer areas. And, on top of that, the chairwoman says the disparity was even worse during the pandemic. Yikes!
The FCC is hoping these new rules will make it easier to report these issues and start keeping track of discrimination in the future.
The telecommunications industry, though, isn’t too thrilled about these new rules. They think it’s all just a big hassle and is going to get in the way of them making money. One big group, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, even called the rules “potentially unlawful.” They’re not holding back on their feelings!
On the other hand, there’s this group called Free Press Action that’s all about these new rules. They even want the FCC to go even further and change some internet stuff to give the agency more oversight powers.
During the FCC meeting where they yak about the rules, one of the agency’s commissioners, Brendan Carr, said these new policies are just going to cause problems and open the door to lawsuits. Oh, boy, tensions are high!
The FCC also has its sights set on resurrecting some net neutrality rules that got axed during the Trump days. President Biden is all behind these new rules and wants to make sure every household in the country has good internet service by 2030, no matter what.
A professor of telecommunications at Pennsylvania State University, Christopher Ali, says that the communities affected by the discrimination should really be reaping the benefits of the FCC’s decisions, not just seeing companies get slapped on the wrist.
So, there you have it! The FCC is shaking things up and trying to make the internet a fairer place for everyone. Let’s see how this rollercoaster ride of digital rights turns out!
