FCC Votes to Preserve the Internet … in Amber

Larry Downes has depth of knowledge and a way with words, both of which he puts to good use in this C|Net opinion piece on the FCC’s vote today moving forward with public‐​utility‐​style regulation of Internet service.


If you’re interested in learning detail about the issues, it’s a good read. My favorite part is the conclusion:

The misplaced nostalgia for an Internet that has long since evolved to something much different and much more useful has led to the adoption today of rules that may have a similar effect. The FCC’s embrace of open‐​Internet rules may indeed preserve the Internet — but preserve it in the same way amber preserves the bodies of prehistoric insects. That gloomy outcome isn’t certain, of course. Internet technology has a wonderful habit of routing around inefficiency and unnecessary obstacles. As between Moore’s Law and FCC law, I’m betting on the technology to prove the ultimate regulator — and the sensible one, at that.