Stop The Madness: The Internet Has To Be Regulated

I'm officially at my wit's end with the discourse surrounding whether or not the FCC has the authority to regulate how networks are managed, grinding my teeth every time I hear the rallying cry of, "You can't regulate the Internet!"

While there's no denying that the Internet has benefited from a light regulatory touch, to suggest that the Internet can't and shouldn't be regulated is dangerously wrong.

We have to understand that the so-called "digital economy" is simply the next generation of our traditional economy. And just like our traditional economy, there are times when we need government to step in and correct market failures, protect consumers, and generally establish what the rules are for how business should be conducted.

Don't get me wrong: every time Congress decides to regulate a portion of the Internet I cringe as too often these policy debates devolve into sloganeering, which tends to gloss over the nuance necessary to make effective policy. And I'm not a big fan of regulations in general.

But to suggest that the Internet should forever be unregulated misses not only the proper role of government, but also the fact that more and more of our traditional economy is going online, either to be enhanced or replaced by the Internet. What this means is that if we take a totally deregulatory stance towards the Internet, then we're basically applying the same mindset to our entire economy.

While some might see that as a good thing, the other significant challenge we face is adjusting existing regulations in light of how the Internet is shifting paradigms on everything from how we conduct business to how we communicate with each other. Old definitions tied to the traditional economy don't necessarily work any more. And yet if we don't address the digital economy with at least updated regulations, then we're going to be left stuck trying to fit the infinite shapes of the Internet through the square holes of outdated regulations.

Getting back to net neutrality, I can't understand the rationale behind efforts to stop the FCC's rulemaking procedure on preserving an open Internet. Are we really suggesting that we can't/shouldn't regulate network management at all? That no one should have the authority to do this?

I can see why some might say that we're better off waiting for the market to evolve a bit further before enacting a new far-reaching regulatory regime, but to say that the FCC doesn't or shouldn't have the authority to conduct oversight on this highly technical, very important issue seems misguided at best.

Just like the Internet, broadband networks have to be properly regulated if we are to protect the interests of consumers and provider network operators with clear ground rules to guide how they invest in and expand their networks.

I actually am in favor of taking a light regulatory touch at this time and giving the market a bit more runway to sort itself out before going too overboard with new regulations. But to suggest that we shouldn't be addressing these important, complex issues, and/or that it's not the FCC's purview to tackle these challenges is pure madness and has to be stopped.