The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking steps to reinstate net neutrality rules, initially adopted in 2015 and rescinded in 2018 during the Trump administration. The rules classified broadband service as a public utility, preventing ISPs from blocking websites or charging for faster access. 

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the commission will vote on reinstating these rules on October 19. The proposal aims to designate internet service as “essential telecommunications,” preventing ISPs from blocking, throttling, or prioritizing certain content. 

“Net neutrality is one of the most widely discussed issues in telecommunications policy,” Rosenworcel said at the National Press Club. She expatiated on the repeal and said it “put the agency on the wrong side of history, the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history, the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of the public”.

The announcement comes after the Democrats took majority control of the FCC on Monday, with Anna Gomez sworn in as commissioner.

This move revives the net neutrality debate and addresses various consumer issues, including spam, digital privacy, and broadband access, while potentially supporting the Biden administration’s broadband expansion efforts. The proposal may face opposition from internet providers.