FCC commissioners were met with applause following a 3-2 vote that restored the net neutrality framework and reclassified broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a Communications Act Title II telecom service during the agency's open meeting Thursday (see 2404190038). “Essential services [require] some basic oversight,” Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said. She told reporters following the vote that the rules are "court tested and court approved" because they are "very consistent with" prior rules that were upheld in court: "I'm confident that these rules will also be upheld."
The FCC will take a series of steps to reestablish the commission's net neutrality framework and reclassify broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a Communications Act Title II telecom service in a declaratory ruling and order (see 2404030043). A draft of the items to be considered during the agency's April meeting, released Thursday, would establish "broad" and "tailored" forbearance for ISPs. The draft doesn’t make a final determination on how network slicing should be treated under the rules.
FCC commissioners will vote on restoring net neutrality rules during the agency's April 25 meeting, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced Wednesday (see 2403290057). Commissioners will consider a declaratory ruling, order, report and order, and order on reconsideration. "A return to the FCC’s overwhelmingly popular and court-approved standard of net neutrality will allow the agency to serve once again as a strong consumer advocate of an open internet," Rosenworcel said. Also on April's agenda is a draft NPRM about georouting 988 calls (see 2404030051).
The FCC should forbear from applying Section 214 obligations to broadband internet access service under proposed net neutrality rules, just as it did in the 2015 rules, CTIA told the agency. The FCC need not take that step, as it has suggested (see 2310050063), to safeguard national security, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 23-320. “The national security purposes the Notice identifies are already met by expert national security agencies that possess the expertise and authority to oversee the entire technology sector and security risks within it,” CTIA said: “The Notice specifically points to the Commission’s revocation of Section 214 authority from certain Chinese telecommunications companies to suggest there are gaps to be filled, but as the record shows those companies did not focus on U.S. mass market services such as BIAS.” If the FCC finds it must not forbear from part of the section, so that it can revoke a provider’s international Section 214 entry authorization, “it should forbear from all other Section 214(a)–(d) authority,” CTIA said.
Groups representing wireless carriers and cable operators urged the FCC to take a cautious approach as it responds to a November Further NPRM on protecting consumers from SIM swapping and port-out fraud (see 2311150042). Additional rules beyond those approved in an accompanying order aren’t warranted, industry groups said. However, the Electronic Privacy Information Center urged the agency to go further in protecting consumers. Comments were posted on Wednesday and Thursday in docket 21-341.