FCC 1, big cable 0

Silicon Valley tech firms lauded the Federal Communications Commission’s decision yesterday to preserve equal access online, while cable companies that stood to profit from a cloistered Internet warned that regulating the Web like a utility will lead to higher prices. The commission’s 3-2 vote codifies the concept of net neutrality by barring Internet service providers such as Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T from charging for access to an online fast lane, slowing loading times for certain sites, or blocking any site so long as its content is legal. The rules “ensure that every American — no matter the size of their wallets or the color of their skin — has an equal chance to innovate and reach people online,” said Barbara van Schewick, a professor of law at Stanford University and director of the school’s Center for Internet and Society. But it's not going to happen just yet. The ruling probably won’t go into effect for several months as the formal language is being crafted. But when it does, it should mean a faster and cheaper Internet for all of America - unless, of course, the cable companies pay off the FCC to get a version which better fits their agenda.