QuickWire: FCC Promises New Rules to Ensure Net Neutrality

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday that he would propose new rules to safeguard what is known as “net neutrality,” or the equal treatment of information flowing across the web. The announcement came a month after a federal appeals court struck down some of the existing rules, adopted in 2010, while affirming the FCC’s ability to regulate Internet-service providers in other ways.

Some major Internet-service providers, such as Verizon, have fought for tiered pricing—the ability to charge more for certain types of traffic. Open-Internet advocates, including many working in higher education and academic research, have argued that differentiated pricing would erode services for smaller players, including colleges and start-up companies.