US Regulators Partly Follow Canada's Net Neutrality

The U.S. regulator of telecommunications has adopted Internet neutrality rules allowing traffic management that in some ways look remarkably like those of Canada.

In a 3-2 decision on Tuesday, members of the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules forbidding wireline broadband providers from engaging in “unreasonable discrimination” in the way they give subscribers access to legal Web content.

That’s similar to wording the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications (CRCT) used in 2009 when it said providers can’t be “unjustly discriminatory nor unduly preferential.” One big difference is that the CRTC has a big stick – the non-discrimination rule is backed by federal law, the Telecommunications Act, which for years has prohibited carriers from discriminating in the delivery of services. The act gives the commission clear authority to regulate carriers.

[Read the entire CRTC decision here]

Also like the CRTC policy, the FCC says American wireline Internet providers must spell out to subscribers details of their traffic management rules.

http://ping.fm/P47OR