Good morning,
Business owners, buckle up: The Federal Communications Commission could dictate some significant changes for you once President-Elect Joe Biden’s administration takes office.
Over the past four years, President Trump's FCC has taken a light touch approach to governing the internet, benefiting large service providers like Comcast but drawing criticism for leaving consumers in the dust. One high-profile example: In 2017, the FCC controversially voted to end net neutrality and stop classifying broadband internet as a public utility, allowing telecom giants like AT&T and Charter to no longer treat all internet traffic equally.
The FCC under Biden will likely take a drastically different course than the regulatory regime of his predecessor--if, that is, Biden can fill the five-seat commission. With current chairman Ajit Pai stepping down in January, there’s an open seat. And if Republicans maintain their Senate majority after next month’s runoff elections in Georgia, they could theoretically block any Biden nomination, putting the agency at a 2-2 deadlock with an equal number of commissioners from the two parties.
But if Democrats do gain a 3-2 majority, expect to see an entirely different policy agenda for the nation’s broadband sector. Read our story to learn what to expect--including a restoration of net neutrality, an expansion of rural internet access, and more. |
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