Net Neutrality: The Federal Communications Commission's Authority to Enforce Its Network Management Principles. CRS Report for Congress

摘要

In 2007, through various experiments by the media, most notably the Associated Press, it became clear that Comcast was intermittently blocking the use of an application called BitTorrent and, possibly, other peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs on its network. Comcast eventually admitted to the practice and agreed to cease blocking the use of the P2P applications on its network. However, Comcast maintains that its actions were reasonable network management and not in violation of the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC or Commission) policy. In response to a petition from Free Press for a declaratory ruling that Comcasts blocking of P2P applications was not reasonable network management, the FCC conducted an investigation into Comcasts network management practices. The FCC determined that Comcast had violated the agencys Internet Policy Statement when it blocked certain applications on its network and that the practice at issue in this case was not reasonable network management. The FCC declined to fine Comcast, because its Internet Policy Statement had never previously been the basis for enforcement forfeitures. Comcast has appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, as have other public interest groups. Comcast argues that the FCC does not have the authority to enforce its Network Management Principles and the Commissions order was invalid for that reason. The Commission argues that it has ancillary authority under Title I of the Communications Act to implement the broad statutory goals for an open, user-controlled Internet laid out by Congress. If the court finds that the FCC does not have the authority to adjudicate based on its Internet Policy Statement, Congress may face the question whether to act to give the FCC such authority in order to prevent anticompetitive conduct by broadband access providers. If the court finds that the FCC acted properly, the agency may continue to enforce these broad principles on a case-by-case basis.