NET NEUTRALITY Supported By President Obama

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TATEMENT BY FCC CHAIRMAN TOM WHEELER ON

THE FCC’S OPEN INTERNET RULES

FEBRUARY 19, 2014
In its Verizon v. FCC decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
invited the Commission to act to preserve a free and open Internet. I intend to accept that invitation by
proposing rules that will meet the court’s test for preventing improper blocking of and discrimination
among Internet traffic, ensuring genuine transparency in how Internet Service Providers manage traffic,
and enhancing competition. Preserving the Internet as an open platform for innovation and expression
while providing certainty and predictability in the marketplace is an important responsibility of this
agency.

The D.C. Circuit ruled that the FCC has the legal authority to issue enforceable rules of the road to
preserve Internet freedom and openness. It affirmed that Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of
1996 gives the FCC authority to encourage broadband deployment by, among other things, removing
barriers to infrastructure deployment, encouraging innovation, and promoting competition. The court
recognized the importance of ensuring that so-called “edge providers,” those that use the network to
deliver goods and services, can reach people who use the Internet. And it upheld the Commission's
judgment that Internet freedom encourages broadband investment and that its absence could ultimately
inhibit broadband deployment.

More at http://www.fcc.gov/document/statement-fcc-chairman-tom-wheeler-fccs-open-internet-rules