FCC's net neutrality vote: What's at stake & why you should care

As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prepares to vote on whether net neutrality rules passed by the Obama administration should be overturned, here's a reminder of what exactly is at stake, and why you should care.

Simply defined, net neutrality – also called the open internet – is the concept that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must treat all online content equally and not give preference to any one digital content provider. The current rules, put in place during Barack Obama's administration, consider the internet to be a public utility and therefore subject to regulation. In short, ISPs have to deliver all websites at the same speed, representing fairness.

However, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who was appointed to his position by President Donald Trump, proposed in May that the internet's public-utility status should be abolished. If he gets his way, your internet experience could soon be transformed from an equal playing field to a money-driven enterprise.

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