After a lot of discussion and much hand wringing, the FCC is set to approve net neutrality rules. If you're not clear why this important, I suggest you take a few moments to read Char James-Tanny's Industry Voices piece, "What's all the fuss about net neutrality," from earlier this year.

In a nutshell, net neutrality, prevents an Internet service provider from giving priority to any one service over another. According to a Guardian article on the announcement, it will work as follows:

"Fixed-line Internet providers will be prevented from blocking content and online services from rival companies or providing preferential treatment to paying clients under the new rules."

The news isn't all good, though, because there will be different rules for mobile providers, which allow them, according to the Guardian article, "to charge content companies for more efficient delivery to U.S. homes." That's a bit trickier because many users get their Internet access via mobile phones and this would provide a way for providers to charge heavy bandwidth users, such as Netflix, for streaming videos to cell phones.

Computerworld reports that industry watchdog group Free Press is particularly unhappy with the provision that wireless providers are treated differently from wired ones, a valid concern. Writing on Huffington Post, Free Press' Timothy Karr wrote, "The rule is so riddled with loopholes that it's become clear that this FCC chairman crafted it with the sole purpose of winning the endorsement of AT&T and cable lobbyists, and not defending the interests of the tens of millions of Internet users."

It's clear that the new rules won't please everyone and the protection appears uneven. Also see additional coverage from Phil Goldstein at FierceWireless.   

For more information:
- see the Guardian article
- see the Computerworld article
- see the Huffington Post article

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