The Federal Communications Commission voted to dismantle rules regulating the businesses that connect consumers to the internet, granting broadband companies the power to potentially reshape Americans' online experiences.
The agency removed the net neutrality regulations that prohibited broadband providers from blocking websites or changing for higher-quality service or specific content. The federal government won't regulate high-speed internet delivery anymore.
When information technology experts speak of "net neutrality," they usually mean consumers should be able to access the legal content they want using the legal applications and devices they want. For example, Verizon's network should not block data going to and from an AT&T customer's computer.
It will take several weeks for the repeal to go into effect, so people won't see any of the potential changes right away. Critics of the changes say that consumers will have more difficulty accessing content online and that start-ups will have to pay to reach consumers.
It is unclear how much will eventually change for internet users. Major telecom companies like AT&T and Comcast, as well as two of the industry's major trade groups, have promised consumers that their experiences online would not change.
With the F.C.C. making clear it will no longer oversee the behavior of broadband providers, telecom experts said, the companies could feel freer to come up with new offerings, such as faster tiers of service for online businesses willing and able to pay for it. Some of those costs could be passed on to consumers.
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