If a bill to restore net neutrality in the United States passes Congress, advisers to President Trump will advise him to use his veto to torpedo this plan.
A letter from the White House states that the administration strongly opposes the Democratic bill to restore net neutrality. That proposal would, in effect, mean a return to the 2015 Obama administration period. Back then, there was tighter supervision and stricter regulations. The White House says the rules introduced last year have reinstated the less stringent pre-Obama surveillance regime, which at the time allegedly allowed “the Internet to develop and prosper.”
Due to the lighter regime, consumers have benefited from an average increase in internet speed of more than 35 percent, the government said. It is also said that more investments have been made in networks since last year and fiber has become available in more homes compared to previous years. The Democrats’ bill, which would reinstate the previous rules, would “undermine this success,” the White House said.
The bill will be put to a vote in the House of Representatives and will likely pass there, because the Democrats have a majority there. Republicans have a majority in the Senate, which could destroy the plan here. If that doesn’t happen and the proposal eventually ends up on President Trump’s desk, his advisers will recommend that he use his veto to block the plan after all.
Due to the abolished rules, a less strict regime has been in force since June last year, because internet providers have been grouped under a different classification in the Telecommunications Act. This means that certain guarantees regarding services and network access are no longer in force. For example, throttling the internet is no longer prohibited; it just needs to be reported. In addition, such a case of throttling must be justified.