Classifying the Internet as a common carrier is...

Classifying the Internet as a common carrier is “a terrible mistake,” said NCTA in a blog post Thursday (http://bit.ly/1tlysE4). “The Internet has succeeded up until this point because it has been free to grow, innovate, and change largely free from government oversight.” Cable broadband providers believe “all legitimate Internet traffic should be treated equally when traveling over local networks, that ISPs should not pick favorites, and that consumers should have unfettered access to legal content of their choosing,” NCTA said. The best way to preserve those rules is to regulate the Internet through the Communications Act’s Section 706, the association said. It said that section doesn’t get in the way of innovation and “offers strong consumer protections that guarantee enforceable open Internet rules and promote competitive marketplaces."