Internet Investment and Innovation Threatened By Appellate Courts' Net Neutrality Ruling

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Allowing the FCC to rule the Internet like a public utility under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act will do nothing but produce a broadband shortage," said George Gilder,  bestselling technology author and Discovery Institute senior fellow.

"This just creates new incentives for broadband providers to divert investment into advertising and content platforms or other countries," Gilder added.

By a 2-1 vote the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld the net neutrality rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in 2015.  Discovery Institute senior fellow Hance Haney joined Gilder criticized the ruling as contrary to Congressional intent and most likely to diminish investment in broadband Internet access services that is necessary to sustain investment and innovation throughout the Internet ecosystem.

"The purpose of the 1996 Telecommunications Act was to preserve legacy regulation for non-competitive legacy services, not apply it to new and innovative services that combine communications and computing," according to Haney.

Selected commentary on net neutrality:

Comments and Reply Comments on the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality proposals.

Eunuchnet, by George Gilder, Jewish World Review

Tax Consequences of Net Neutrality, by Hance Haney, Technology Liberation Front

Controlling the Internet, by Hance Haney, The Stream

SOURCE Discovery Institute

Related Links

http://www.discovery.org