A Blog by Jonathan Low

 

Sep 4, 2018

ISPs Now Declare Internet Access Essential; Want Unregulated Government Subsidies

After asserting the internet was not an essential utilityduring the debate over net neutrality, ISP's are now saying it is BUT they can only expand it with government subsidies.

The issue seems to be that having won the battle - they succeeded in eliminating net neutrality - they now realize they lost the war as consumers protest and individual states introduce their own regulations, making service provision less profitable than under the previous system.

This suggests that some form of net neutrality will eventually return and that the ISPs will get some tax write-offs to make that more palatable. JL

Jon Brodkin reports in ars technica:

Broadband lobby groups are arguing that Internet service is similar to utilities such as electricity, gas distribution, roads, and water and sewer networks. In the providers' view, broadband doesn't require more regulation to protect consumers. They argue that broadband's utility-like status is reason for the government to give ISPs more money.