Regulatory agencies can't regulate?

On April 6 the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. ruled in favor of Comcast in their fight to control broadband connections to regulate BitTorrent use. But, as with all important court cases, the ripple effects don't stop there.

The ruling challenges the FCC's ability to enforce what they've termed "net-neutrality." The Washington Post explains that net-neutrality means "big high-speed Internet companies...must treat content that flows through their pipelines equally, whether it's digitally lightweight e-mail or hefty movie files, by pushing it all through at the same speed."

I imagine communication companies have always had the ability to influence connections over their networks. But there is a big difference between dropping a phone call and slowing down an internet connection to an interminable level. The internet is our lifeblood these days, and for better or for worse, that's not going to change. So someone or something needs to have some sort of oversight powers above these huge companies. But according to yesterday's ruling, it doesn't seem like that will be the FCC anytime soon.

Austin Schlick explained the situation over at the FCC blog. At first he doesn't seem too concerned. But then there is that little part at the end that goes something like this:

"...yesterday’s decision may affect a significant number of important Plan recommendations. Among them are recommendations aimed at accelerating broadband access and adoption in rural America; connecting low-income Americans, Native American communities, and Americans with disabilities; supporting robust use of broadband by small businesses to drive productivity, growth and ongoing innovation; lowering barriers that hinder broadband deployment; strengthening public safety communications; cybersecurity; consumer protection, including transparency and disclosure; and consumer privacy."

So just when the FCC has rolled out a plan to address huge digital issues that are perpetuating the digital divide in our country, are we stuck going back to square one, or worse, facing a lifetime of drawn-out courtroom battles?

Well, TechCrunch explains the FCC has some, potentially costly and politically dangerous, options.

Granted, this decision is no cause for mass panic quite yet, but I do think we should all be a little concerned that the once forever free and clear internet is slowly becoming, well, a little foggy.