Overview

• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has enacted new rules to eliminate discrimination in access to internet services, a move called the first major U.S. digital civil rights policy.
• The rules empower the FCC to review and investigate instances of discrimination by broadband providers to different communities based on income, race, ethnicity, and other protected classes.
• The order provides a framework for the FCC to address digital inequities, including disparities in the investment of services for different neighborhoods, and the 'digital divide'.
• The telecommunications industry has opposed the framework, arguing that the policy would hamper investment in communities by requiring regulations that the industry says are unnecessary.
• The FCC is also poised to reimplement landmark net neutrality rules that were rescinded under the Trump administration.