Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate introduced a bill March 6 to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules, CNBC reports.
The Save the Internet Act would reinstate the Open Internet Order, which was repealed in late 2017. The repeal was implemented in April 2018. Net neutrality rules require internet service providers to treat all internet traffic equally by not prioritizing or blocking content or charging fees, according to CNBC. When net neutrality was repealed, the Federal Communications Commission installed a rule called Restoring Internet Freedom, which employed a "light-touch" approach to regulating the internet.
Tina Pelkey, a spokeswoman for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, told CNBC that the Restoring Internet Freedom rules passed under Mr. Pai have "unleashed private investment, resulting in more fiber being deployed in 2018 than any year before and download speeds increasing by an astounding 36 percent."
However, proponents of net neutrality believe the internet is more fair, equal and innovative without the rule.
The Save the Internet Act needs to pass the House and Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump to reinstate net neutrality.
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