Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 34

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

What Is the Future of

NET NEUTRALITY?

By Jeffery Leon

N

et neutrality, the principle that all network
traffic is equal and should be treated equally
by Internet service providers and governments, has been a hot-button issue in the
United States in recent years, with debate raging
between activists and ISPs about how data should
be treated. Parties in favor of net neutrality argue
that a free and open Internet ensures a level
playing field for all users, while opponents claim
that government intervention is unnecessary and
could stifle innovation. In 2015 the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) ruled in favor
of net neutrality, applying Title II rules to broadband services. In 2017 FCC Chair Ajit Pai, a Trump
appointee, said the commission would seek to
reevaluate and scale back net neutrality rules. Our
members sound off on what they believe is the
future of net neutrality.

JOAN MARSH
Executive Vice President, Regulatory & State External
Affairs, AT&T
Today there is a broad consensus that the Internet
should always be a place for freedom of expression and
an open exchange of information free from censorship
and blocking and discriminatory throttling. AT&T has
always supported these principles and remains committed to allowing consumers to access the content of
their choosing.
Using outdated regulatory structures to enforce net neutrality principles, however, is a huge mistake. The FCC's
2015 decision to classify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act of
1934 is ill-fitting for the Internet. Applying regulations
designed for the black rotary phone to the Internet
stifles innovation and investment. That's why, since its
inception, through both Democratic and Republican
administrations, the Internet had been classified as an
information service, which engendered a light-touch
regulatory framework that fostered its unprecedented
growth and consumer welfare.
Most importantly, the regulatory back and forth will
only exacerbate uncertainty in an industry fueled [by]
speed. This volatility stifles innovation, growth, and
broadband expansion. Congress should pass commonsense legislation that codifies net neutrality principles
and restores the regulatory framework that served it
- and all of us - so well.



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - December 2017

Your Voice
From Our President
Our Membership
Career & Professional Development
Practice Management
Calendar of Events
Government & Gavel
Feature: 50 Years of Space Law
Feature: The Resurrection of Civics Class
Feature: Privacy in the Digital Age
Feature: AI & The Legal Workplace
Member Spotlight
Global & Domestic Outlook
Worth Reading
Media Bytes
Attorney Briefs
Ask the Ethics Experts
Associates Angle
Disciplinary Summaries
The Pro Bono Effect
Community & Connections
Last Word
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover1
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover2
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 1
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 2
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 3
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 4
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Your Voice
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - From Our President
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 7
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Our Membership
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Career & Professional Development
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Practice Management
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 11
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Calendar of Events
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 13
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Government & Gavel
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 15
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: 50 Years of Space Law
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 17
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 18
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 19
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 20
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 21
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: The Resurrection of Civics Class
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 23
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 24
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 25
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: Privacy in the Digital Age
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 27
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 28
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 29
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Feature: AI & The Legal Workplace
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 31
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 32
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 33
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Member Spotlight
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 35
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Global & Domestic Outlook
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 37
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Worth Reading
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Media Bytes
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Attorney Briefs
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Ask the Ethics Experts
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Associates Angle
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Disciplinary Summaries
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - The Pro Bono Effect
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 45
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Community & Connections
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - 47
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Last Word
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover3
Washington Lawyer - December 2017 - Cover4
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