Republicans proposed net neutrality legislation of their own on Friday that could significantly weaken the FCC’s power over regulator internet providers.
The bill, drafted by Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, would make it illegal for network operators to throttle data or offer paid prioritization schemes — except for data management purposes.
Moreover, the Republican proposal won’t reclassify the internet as a public utility under Title II of the 1934 Telecommunications Act, which is the direction the FCC and President Obama are headed. The Republican bill would also restrict the FCC from expanding its authority over broadband companies beyond enforcing existing rules.
The FCC is expected to publish its net neutrality plan on Feb. 5.
