Mobile World Congress 2015: The head of the US's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has defended the country's net neutrality stance as a way to promote investment in infrastructure.
Speaking during a conference at the congress last night, Tom Wheeler said net neutrality regulation, which was narrowly voted into law last Thursday, was not based on archaic regulations, but was rather a benefit to mobile operators.
Net neutrality aims to reclassify fixed and mobile broadband as a more regulated telecoms service and ensure a level playing field for traffic across networks.
Wheeler said the regulations, 15 months in the making, had four focus areas, including how to "unleash" the power of broadband, ensure there was sufficient spectrum, create a competitive environment, and make sure citizens and the state were protected.
Net neutrality is a controversial topic in the US and Wheeler's stance has come under fire, with threats of taking the new regulation to court, and other institutions wanting it to be overturned.
Wheeler said those who opposed the regulation had argued it was too dictatorial and would create a monopoly status. He said the contrary was true as the new rules were modern and would not impede operators.
Regulating traffic on the Internet would not lead to the FCC dictating what tariffs the operators charged, nor would it stop them blocking or throttling traffic, said Wheeler. "There is no more regulation of the Internet than there is of the first amendment regarding free speech."
Wheeler said the criteria used in enforcing the new rule would be one of reasonableness. He said operators' revenue stream would not change after the new regulation comes into effect. "I believe it is possible to have an open Internet."
* Nicola Mawson is in Barcelona curtesy of Samsung.
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