Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel is planning to reinstate net neutrality rules that were revoked under the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move comes as Democrats gain majority control of the FCC for the first time since President Joe Biden assumed office. The net neutrality proposal is set to be voted on by the FCC in October. Net neutrality rules prevent internet service providers from blocking or slowing down internet traffic or offering paid fast lanes. Rosenworcel had previously criticized the repeal of these rules in 2017.
In 2017, the FCC, under the Trump administration, overturned net neutrality rules that were established during the Obama administration. However, the appeals court ruled in 2022 that the FCC’s decision to reverse these rules could not prevent states from implementing their own net neutrality laws. Following this ruling, industry groups abandoned their legal challenges to California’s net neutrality law. President Biden has also shown support for net neutrality by signing an executive order that encourages the FCC to reinstate the rules. Rosenworcel is expected to outline her plans for reinstating net neutrality in a speech on Tuesday.
