Net Neutrality Vote

NEW YORK (AP) – The Latest on the FCC’s vote on eliminating net-neutrality protections for the internet (all times local): 1:30 p.m. AT&T and other big internet service providers are applauding the Federal Communications Commission for unraveling sweeping net-neutrality rules that guaranteed equal access to the internet.

The FCC voted 3-2 on Thursday to overturn Obama-era rules that had been designed to prevent providers such as Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and Charter from favoring some sites and apps over others.

AT&T Senior Executive Vice President Bob Quinn said in a blog post Thursday that “the internet will continue to work tomorrow just as it always has.”

Quinn says the company won’t block websites and it won’t throttle or degrade online traffic based on content.

The providers have argued that the overhaul will allow them to invest more money in broadband infrastructure over time, though it’s not clear how their claims will be measured.

UPDATED: 1:15 p.m. The Federal Communications Commission has voted on party lines to undo sweeping Obama-era “net neutrality” rules that guaranteed equal access to internet.

The agency’s Democratic commissioners dissented in the 3-2 vote Thursday.

The FCC’s new rules could usher in big changes in how Americans use the internet.

The agency got rid of rules that barred companies like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from playing favorites with internet apps and sites.

The broadband industry promises that the internet experience isn’t going to change.

But protests have erupted online and in the streets as everyday Americans worry that cable and phone companies will be able to control what they see and do online.

Net-neutrality supporters plan legal challenges.

Some Democrats hope to ride that wave of public opinion into the 2018 elections.