Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC)

Sign up for Internet service with your local regional phone company. Our massive internet servers, hostname molassas and ketchup, will deliver internet to you in the fashion you have become accustomed to getting from us. After all, we are the phone company. Where else are you going to go?

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is a set of rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which say Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, and Verizon, cannot block, throttle, or prioritize certain content on the Internet.

5G slices are a net neutrality loophole, critics argue  Light Reading Don't be fooled: Net neutrality is about more than just blocking and throttling | Brookings  Brookings Institution F.C.C. Moves Toward Restoring Net Neutrality Rules, Igniting Regulatory Fight  The New York Times What Is Net Neutrality? Myths and Realities  Free Press FCC Moves to Revive Net Neutrality Rules, Setting Up Another Lengthy Regulatory Battle  Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Reinstating 'Net Neutrality' Is to Ignore Reality | Cato at Liberty Blog  Cato Institute E&C GOP to Rosenworcel: “The Net Neutrality Debate was Settled When the Internet Didn't Break”  Energy and Commerce Committee Net Neutrality  NCTA Net Neutrality: What It Means for Your Everyday Internet Access and Streaming Speeds  CNET Panel Bashes Net Neutrality Potential Impact On ISPs  BroadbandBreakfast.com FCC to reintroduce rules protecting net neutrality  CNN FCC Proposes To Reinstate Net Neutrality  Perkins Coie What happened to the internet without net neutrality? : The Indicator from Planet Money  NPR Net Neutrality Pendulum Swings Once Again With FCC's Latest Push  Bloomberg Law The FCC is Expected to Propose the Return of Net Neutrality Protections Oct 19th - Let's Hope They Get it Right!  EFF Restore net neutrality, crucial to democracy  The Seattle Times Verizon, T-Mobile, Nokia get noisy on network slicing and net neutrality  Light Reading and the History of the Net Neutrality Fight | Free Press  Free Press Cable ISPs Seek Net Neutrality Guardrails From FCC  BroadbandBreakfast.com Eshoo Statement on FCC Announcement on Net Neutrality  Congresswoman Anna Eshoo FCC closes comments on 'open internet protections' rulemaking  StateScoop OTI Expands On Recent Comments Urging FCC To Adopt Stronger Net Neutrality Rules  New America Netflix Reenters Fight Over Open Internet Rules as Government Anticipates Restoring Net Neutrality  Hollywood Reporter CDT Comments to FCC on Re-Imposing Net Neutrality  Center for Democracy and Technology Public Knowledge Urges FCC To Reinstate Broadband Authority, Bring Back Net Neutrality Protections  Public Knowledge The Net Neutrality Debate Is Back!  IEEE Spectrum Twitch Shuts Down in South Korea: A Reminder of Why We Fight For Net Neutrality  Public Knowledge Higher-Ed Associations Urge FCC to Support Net Neutrality  Government Technology FCC Moves To Reinstate Title II Broadband Authority, Net Neutrality Rules  Public Knowledge Opinion | The FCC’s net neutrality plan makes more sense than ever  The Washington Post Net Neutrality Plan Could Receive FCC Vote By April  Law360 12 Days of Broadband: Net Neutrality Is the Issue That Never Dies  BroadbandBreakfast.com Net Neutrality: Revisiting the Repeal  American Enterprise Institute Net Neutrality - AAF  American Action Forum US FCC votes to advance plan to reinstate net neutrality rules  Reuters Biden’s FCC wants to bring back net neutrality  Vox.com Net neutrality could be making a comeback. What's changed?  the1a.org The FCC’s Groundhog Day: The mistake of bringing back net neutrality  Americans for Prosperity FTC considers restoring net neutrality  Marketplace Why Resurrect Net Neutrality?  American Enterprise Institute GOP Senators Oppose Proposed FCC Net Neutrality Rules  Cindy Hyde-Smith What's New in Digital Equity: FCC Closer to Restoring Net Neutrality  Government Technology Net Neutrality Is Coming Back (Soon)  No Jitter FCC Revives 'Net Neutrality,' Proposes New Regulations for Internet Service  The Wall Street Journal Chairs Rodgers and Latta on Rosenworcel's Decision to Revive Settled Net Neutrality Debate  Energy and Commerce Committee Feds shouldn’t echo California's useless net neutrality law  R Street Is broadband essential, like water or electricity? New net neutrality effort makes the case  The Associated Press The FCC Can't Give You Net Neutrality  The Federalist Society Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Express Opposition with Proposed FCC Net Neutrality Rules  Kevin Cramer FCC Shouldn't Push Net Neutrality, Top Obama Attorneys Say (1)  Bloomberg Law Mozilla's Comments to FCC: Net Neutrality Essential for Competition, Innovation, Privacy - Open Policy & Advocacy  Mozilla & Firefox Net Neutrality Definition, Laws, Pros, and Cons | Spiceworks  Spiceworks News and Insights FCC Seeks to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules  NAM Content Delivery Networks Want to Be Excluded From Net Neutrality Rules  BroadbandBreakfast.com Net neutrality restored by the FCC? Chair weighs internet rules return  USA TODAY Make Sure Net Neutrality Covers Wholesale Service, FCC Told  Law360 Title II: Beyond Net Neutrality  New America US FCC chair proposes to restore net neutrality rules  Reuters What happened to the internet without net neutrality? : The Indicator from Planet Money  NPR Chairs Rodgers and Latta Blast FCC for Reopening Net Neutrality Debate  Energy and Commerce Committee FCC Chair Rosenworcel on Reinstating Net Neutrality Rules  C-SPAN FCC to vote to restore net neutrality under Biden  Axios ISPs with rival streaming services have 'clear incentive' to flout net neutrality rules, Netflix claims  Light Reading FCC's Net Neutrality Rules Should Be Upheld in the Supreme Court  Bloomberg Law FCC kicks off fight to restore net neutrality  The Verge OTI Supports FCC's Reclassification of Broadband and Urges Adoption of Stronger Net Neutrality Rules  New America Net neutrality, blunted under Trump, may soon be revived  CNBC Net Neutrality Rules Face 'Major Questions' Buzzsaw at High Court  Bloomberg Law US Chamber, Comcast, tech group split over net neutrality  Reuters Net Neutrality Returns to Haunt Us  Cato Institute US FCC chair to seek reinstating net neutrality rules rescinded under Trump  Reuters Column: The FCC's move to restore net neutrality is overdue, and possibly too late  Los Angeles Times Wicker Statement on Net Neutrality Announcement - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker  Senator Roger Wicker FCC Moves to Reinstate Net Neutrality, Keeps Rules Open for Comment  BroadbandBreakfast.com AT&T CEO bashes possible return of net neutrality rules  Mobile World Live Tom Morello, Amanda Palmer, More Call on FCC to Restore Net Neutrality and ‘Protect Art’  Rolling Stone The FCC announces plans to resurrect net neutrality laws in the US  The Verge Tapping the common sense on net neutrality  The Fulcrum Competition—Not Net Neutrality Regulations—Should Determine the Future of Broadband  American Enterprise Institute Attention FCC: No One Needs Another Net-Neutrality Fight  Bloomberg FCC revives debate over net neutrality as Democrats gain majority - The Washington Post  The Washington Post Newly Empowered FCC Chair Moves to Rekindle Net-Neutrality Fight Between Tech and Telecom Giants  The Wall Street Journal Opinion | New net neutrality rules should be specific and necessary  The Washington Post What happened to the internet without net neutrality? | Stanford Law School  Stanford Law School Why We Need Net Neutrality — and Title II  Free Press Industry, Non-profits React Predictably to FCC's Proposed Net Neutrality Reinstatement  BroadbandBreakfast.com FCC Democrats begin process to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules  The Hill Net Neutrality Is Still Needed Despite Its Quiet Hiatus  Bloomberg Broadband Breakfast on February 7, 2024 – Congress, Net Neutrality and Privacy  BroadbandBreakfast.com CCIA Applauds FCC For Reviving Net Neutrality - CCIA  Computer and Communications Industry Association Democrats move to expand control over broadband  POLITICO FCC chair announces a return to net neutrality  Texas Standard FCC Chair Sets Her Sights on Space, Net Neutrality Comeback  The Information FCC's Push for Net Neutrality: Rosenworcel Says Broadband is 'Essential Infrastructure'  CNET Slim-to-zero chance that new net neutrality rules will spark price regulation – analysts  Light Reading Internet Equality: How The FCC Reinstating Net Neutrality Impacts Black Entrepreneurs  Forbes State of the Net conference features continued crosstalk about net-neutrality rules  Light Reading Net Neutrality Returns to FCC Agenda Under Democrat Majority — and Immediately Draws Fire  Variety Net neutrality: What it is and why we're talking about it again  ZDNet Cable pitches suggestions as FCC plows ahead on net neutrality rules  Light Reading

What is Net Neutrality?

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers must treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication. For instance, under these principles, internet service providers are unable to intentionally block, slow down or charge money for specific websites and online content.

The term was coined by Columbia University media law professor Tim Wu in 2003, as an extension of the longstanding concept of a common carrier, which was used to describe the role of telephone systems.

A widely cited example of a violation of net neutrality principles was the Internet service provider Comcast's secret slowing ("throttling") of uploads from peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) applications by using forged packets. Comcast did not stop blocking these protocols, like BitTorrent, until the FCC ordered them to stop. In another minor example, The Madison River Communications company was fined US$15,000 by the FCC, in 2004, for restricting their customers' access to Vonage, which was rivaling their own services. AT&T was also caught limiting access to FaceTime, so only those users who paid for AT&T's new shared data plans could access the application. In July 2017, Verizon Wireless was accused of throttling after users noticed that videos played on Netflix and Youtube were slower than usual, though Verizon commented that it was conducting "network testing" and that net neutrality rules permit "reasonable network management practices".

Research suggests that a combination of policy instruments will help realize the range of valued political and economic objectives central to the network neutrality debate. Combined with strong public opinion, this has led some governments to regulate broadband Internet services as a public utility, similar to the way electricity, gas, and the water supply are regulated, along with limiting providers and regulating the options those providers can offer.