At this morning’s Phoenix Center forum, Lawrence Spiwak sat down with Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Robert McDowell. They discussed the current prospect of regulating broadband Internet under an outdated 1934 telephone law.

Everyone wants an open, unfiltered Internet and Commissioner McDowell believes the great policies in place today have given us that outcome. But the idea of Net neutrality has unfortunately created further confusion in this unnecessary debate.

McDowell says Net neutrality is really about transparency and blocking anticompetitive actions. These two factors could easily be monitored under Title I, the current and existing law. There are plenty of legal tools at the FCC’s disposal if a broadband company were to act in an anticompetitive way. McDowell said, “The notion that consumers are not protected is false.” A consensus on transparency is a topic the Commissioner sees as important and necessary, but not reclassifying broadband Internet under an outdated law.

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