- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Obama Calls to Ban Blocking, Throttling by Internet Providers

© AP Photo / Evan VucciUS President Barack Obama has announced his request to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure free and open Internet for the US citizens.
US President Barack Obama has announced his request to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure free and open Internet for the US citizens. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
US President Barack Obama has announced his request to the US FCC, specifying the new rules for internet providers as "no blocking," "no throttling," "increased transparency" and "no paid prioritization."

WASHINGTON, November 10 (Sputnik) – US President Barack Obama has announced his request to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure free and open Internet for the US citizens, according to the White House press release, issued on Monday.

"I believe the FCC should create a new set of rules, protecting net neutrality and ensuring that neither the cable company nor the phone company will be able to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online," the release said.

The statement specified the new rules for internet providers as "no blocking," "no throttling," "increased transparency" and "no paid prioritization."

Obama called for "simple, common-sense steps", saying that Internet service providers (ISPs) should not be permitted to block websites, containing legal content, "nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called "throttling."

Obama also requested the FCC to "apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet."

Finally, Obama asked for a ban on paid prioritization and "any other restriction that has a similar effect."

Since consumers increasingly use mobile devices to access the Internet, new rules should be fully applicable to mobile broadband, the release stated.

"The time has come for the FCC to recognize that broadband service is of the same importance and must carry the same obligations as so many of the other vital services do," Obama stressed asking the FCC to reclassify the Internet as a public utility.

This May, the FCC proposed a regulation that would allow content providers to pay extra to ISPs to secure prioritized delivery of their content to the Internet consumers. Nearly 4 million US net-neutrality supporters sent comments to the FCC, opposing the new regulation and requesting fair Internet access.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала