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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Experts Weigh in on Future of Open Internet

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Tuesday, January 31, 2017   

LINCOLN, Neb. – Equal access to the Internet was guaranteed by the FCC two years ago when the regulatory agency passed Obama-backed net neutrality. But will the open Internet rules survive?

President Trump's choice for FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, has called net neutrality a "massive intrusion into the Internet economy," and claims the Internet was already "open and free."

"Net neutrality rules are a solution in search of a problem," he said.

But Marty Newell, who coordinates the Rural Broadband Policy Group, disagrees and says the rules are "a guard against overreach" by corporate interests. He fears without this protection, content from big providers will make it onto the Web's fast lane, pushing other providers to the slow lane.

"'Small folks' are going to have a hard time finding room, they're going to get moved aside, and that doesn't serve consumers well," Newell said. "It also doesn't serve entrepreneurs well."

Newell says it could especially hurt those in rural areas trying to deliver goods or services online. Others doubt it will harm the open internet.

One of them is Fred Campbell, the director of Tech Knowledge, who also teaches spectrum law and policy at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He says any changes to net neutrality will not threaten the open Internet.

"No matter what the current administration does there will still be government oversight in form of anti-trust and not at all unlikely additional oversight by FCC into these issues, it just won't be done in the same way and won't involve the same high level of government interference," explained Campbell.

But Newell counters that the nation's history in treating telephone service as a utility illustrates the importance of regulating common carriers. He says monopolies don't tend to serve consumers well and for that reason, he contends the "simple notion" of an equal information highway must continue.

"All legal content and all users get the same even-handed treatment, and we're not picking winners," Newell added. "Without that rule, corporate interests get to pick the winners."

Nearly four-million public comments helped cement the open Internet rules.


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