The victory of net neutrality last month was rightly hailed as a success.
But somewhat overlooked in its affirmation was another welcome effect of reclassifying internet service as a utility: By doing so, the FCC struck a significant blow against laws like those in North Carolina that had prohibited municipal internet providers from filling in service gaps in areas neglected by private companies.
Rural areas of North Carolina, some just several miles away from Chapel Hill, continue to be underserved by telecommunications companies — the same companies that backed legislation to keep the government from stepping in to provide sufficient access.
Opponents claim that incorporating internet service into Title II will leave these companies prone to over-regulation and stifle their innovative tendencies. But, if anything, more regulation is precisely what was needed to ensure these companies provide the service they claim to offer and protect customers from exploitation. There remains little in the way of oversight to ensure that the coverage maps these companies provide correspond with the areas where service is practically available.
The quality of life improvements associated with the spread of the internet are far too great to be in any way limited to those who can already afford to live in areas where the profit margins for service providers are the highest.
It is in the best interest of both the U.S. and North Carolina to continue to ensure nothing stands in the way of any person’s access to this now-vital resource.
