A majority of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) members voted to approve controversial plans from chairman Ajit Pai (pictured, centre) to disassemble the country’s net neutrality rules.

At an open meeting on 18 May, the committee rubber-stamped plans unveiled earlier this month, though not without opposition from several members, including commissioner Mignon Clyburn (pictured, left).

Proposals will now go to what promises to be a lively three month public consultation before a final decision is made.

In what the FCC said was “a first step toward restoring internet freedom, promoting investment, innovation and choice,” members voted to approve the reversal of open internet rules brought in during the previous FCC administration in 2015.

Current regulations – dubbed net neutrality laws – state ISPs must treat all internet traffic equally and are unable to prioritise specific services to the detriment of others.

Critics say the rules hamper innovation and investment, while supporters maintain the 2015 order protects the integrity of the internet.

At the meeting, Pai said: “Today’s notice is the start of a new chapter in the public discussion about how we can best maintain a free and open internet while making sure that ISPs have strong incentives to bring next-generation networks and services to all Americans.”

“Hollow theory”
Despite the result of yesterday’s vote, Pai faces detractors from both within and outside of the FCC.

At the meeting, Clyburn said the proposal “contains a hollow theory of trickle-down internet economics, suggesting that if we just remove enough regulations from your broadband provider, they will automatically improve your service, pass along discounts from those speculative savings, deploy more infrastructure with haste, and treat edge providers fairly.”

“It jeopardises the ability of the open internet to function tomorrow as it does today,” she added.

Following the vote, The Internet Association (IA) – which counts Google, Amazon, Twitter and Microsoft as members – said current regulations were working and had not hampered investment.

“The internet industry remains opposed to any changes to FCC regulations governing net neutrality,” IA president and CEO Michael Beckerman said.

“ISPs should not be able to use their position as gatekeepers to prioritise their own content over others. Internet companies stand with consumers, startups, and other beneficiaries of the ecosystem in our fight to maintain a free and open internet.”