As expected, an uncertain road lies ahead for net neutrality following the congressional midterm elections, which saw Republicans regain the majority in the House of Representatives.
The Hill reports Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, a supporter of net neutrality, still has the option of taking the unilateral move of reclassifying broadband services under a provision known as Title II.
Doing so would allow FCC greater authority to regulate Internet service providers, but would also likely “draw the ire of Republicans in the House, who now control the agency’s purse strings,†Gautham Nagesh of The Hill writes.
There are competing analyses about which was the more vulnerable position: opposing FCC’s reclassification efforts or supporting broad net-neutrality efforts.
More than a third of Democrats who signed a letter against reclassification efforts lost their elections, according to a pro-net neutrality group.
However, a group that opposes net neutrality found that of those Democrats who lost seats, all of them had signed a pledge supporting net neutrality.
Meanwhile, media company Albritton Communications, announced support for Genachowski’s reclassification efforts, or what the company called a “third way,†Multichannel.com reports.
“After careful review and consideration of Chairman Genachowski’s proposal for the ‘third way,’ Allbritton finds it to be a reasoned and enforceable framework that will prevent abuses on wired and mobile Internet, and is pleased to support it,” representatives of the company said.
