By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 12-15-21
FCC Democratic nominee Gigi Sohn signaled to Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) that she would be no slam dunk vote for restoring the FCC’s vague “general conduct standard” if chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel tees up restoration of the FCC’s open internet rules as expected.
Under former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, for whom Sohn was a top advisor and Title II-based net neutrality rules advocate, the bright-line rules against blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization was accompanied by what was arguably a “fuzzy” general conduct standard that allowed the FCC to take action, on a case-by-case basis, against other practices that might not fit into those three categories….
Asked by Blunt, in written questions following her nomination, whether she favored bringing back that general conduct standard, Sohn said she would look at the totality of the record and law and come to a conclusion about the scope of new net neutrality rules, including considering adopting the general conduct standard. » Read More