Business

Broadband providers warn FCC against stricter regulation

Investment dollars to improve US broadband service will evaporate if regulators decide to ramp up oversight, several heavyweight broadband providers said Tuesday.

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to issue guidelines this week on net neutrality and could decide to view the Internet as a public utility — and provide tighter regulation.

That would be a bad move, Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and other large broadband providers said in a letter to the FCC sent Tuesday.

At the same time, content providers, like Netflix, are pushing the FCC to keep the ISPs from having the freedom to block or slow rival content or to levy new fees to ensure the free flow of data to customers.

The group of Internet Service Providers are backed by Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who are also urging the FCC to refrain from overregulation.

FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler is set to speak on the issue Thursday.

Under stepped up regulation, the FCC will have “plenary authority to regulate rates, terms and conditions, mandate wholesale access to broadband networks and intrude into the business of content delivery networks, transit providers, and connected devices,” the ISPs said in the letter.