Title II Fans Celebrate FCC Order's Release

The FCC's release of the network neutrality order drew cheers as well as jeers, including for bringing interconnection under the Title II umbrella, subject to a case-by-case complaint regime.

“COMPTEL is pleased the Commission’s Open Internet Order confirms that consumers should get what they pay for and that broadband Internet access service providers cannot evade the protections through their interconnection and traffic exchange practices," the trade group said.

"Interconnection is the first amendment for the open Internet. As such, we look forward to the Commission fulfilling the promise of today’s order by promptly adjudicating disputes regarding interconnection and traffic exchange practices and confirming that ISPs’ attempts to extract tolls for the delivery of Internet traffic are unlawful."

“After months of conducting a transparent and open process, Chairman Wheeler and his colleagues at the FCC should be congratulated on the release of the text of their Open Internet Order," said Chris Lewis, VP of government affairs for Public Knowledge. "In alignment with standard FCC practice under the Administrative Procedures Act, this is the public’s chance to see the details of the rules and the legal reasoning behind them. An initial review shows that the order uses Title II to deliver the strong rules the Chairman promised and consumers expect."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.