Questions and answers on 'net neutrality'

US regulators voted Thursday on a plan overhauling rules for internet services providers. The action by the Federal Communications Commission is likely to end so-called "net neutrality." Here are some questions and answers:

- What is net neutrality and why is it important? -

The concept dates back to the early days of the web, and requires internet service providers to treat all data equally -- prohibiting the blocking of sites or services for competitive reasons, and banning "fast" and "slow" lanes for different kinds of online traffic.

Backers of net neutrality argue that the handful of high-speed US internet service providers have incentives to block or degrade services that compete with their own offerings, in areas such as streaming video, calling or even web search.

FCC rollback backers argue that neutrality rules crimp broadband firms and prevent investment in new high-speed services such as video conferencing, telemedicine and connected vehicles that would need "fast lanes."

- How did we get here? -

The debate has been raging for over a decade with court and administrative challenges. Neutrality activists have staged street and online protests, backed by many major tech firms and Hollywood celebrities. The large broadband firms meanwhile have invested heavily in lobbying.

Tim Wu, the law professor who coined the term "net neutrality," said the concept dates back to the 1970s, when regulators sought to ensure that the telecom monopoly at the time, AT&T, did not block or discriminate against emerging data services over phone lines.

The FCC in the early 2000s sought to enshrine these concepts in rulemaking, but federal courts twice ruled the agency lacked authority because internet service providers (ISPs) were not "common carriers" like phone companies.

In 2015, the FCC got around the court rulings by declaring that broadband firms were in fact "common carriers" that may be regulated under a 1934 law. This angered ISPs and their backers who feared it would open the door to price controls and "heavy-handed" regulation.

The FCC Thursday adopted by a three-to-two vote a proposal by Republican appointed chairman Ajit Pai to scrap the 2015 rules, which he described as "heavy-handed," and replace them with his "Restore Internet Freedom" plan.

Critics contend the plan could kill the open internet as we know it. Activists say Pai is doing more than just rolling back the clock, pointing out that net neutrality has been largely enforced under both Republican and Democratic administrations, citing the "four internet freedoms" outlined in 2005 by then-chairman Michael Powell.

- Is net neutrality dead? -

It remains unclear how the big ISPs will respond. Their main trade group has pledged the firms would refrain from blocking, throttling or degrading any "lawful" content or application.

"There would be a great deal of resistance" to any type of discrimination, says Doug Brake, a policy analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington think tank.

"And it's not just social pressure," Brake said, noting that any effort to block competing services could invite antitrust scrutiny and likely lead to strict neutrality rules in a new administration.

- What happens now? -

The large broadband firms -- including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon -- say nothing will change in how the internet operates, but that they will have a freer hand to innovate and invest in new technologies.

Instead of simply blocking rivals, the ISPs may step up special offers for customers, such as free access to sports from mobile devices.

But immediately following the vote, officials from two states and others vowed to challenge the FCC action in court.

"The FCC just gave Big Telecom an early Christmas present, by giving internet service providers yet another way to put corporate profits over consumers," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

Others planned legal challenges including the consumer activist group Free Press.

Some activists fear ISPs will seek to extract higher fees from services that are heavy data users, like Netflix or other streaming services, with these costs passed on to consumers.

More likely to feel the pain would be new startups without the resources of Google or Facebook.

"What this fight is really about is whether the next generation of tech companies will have the space to innovate and spread new ideas," Ferras Vinh of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a digital rights group.

The FCC says its new plan requires "transparency" from internet firms and that complaints would be investigated by another agency, the Federal Trade Commission, which deals with consumer protection and antitrust matters.

- What does this mean for the global internet? -

Many countries around the world look to the US to set standards, but each country has its own rules. The European Union has guidelines on net neutrality, but each country implements its own regulations.

The US situation is unique because it relies on private carriers creating and investing in their own networks, while many other countries share network infrastructure from a current or former telecom monopoly.

The new rules, backers say, are adapted for the US systems.