Farmington State Sen. Bye on Hand to See FCC Net Neutrality Vote

State Sen. Beth Bye (D-Farmington, West Hartford) was on hand to see the historic Federal Communications Commission vote on net neutrality.

The commission voted 3-2 to reclassify the Internet as a type of public utility, which will bring more oversight wired and wireless Internet Service providers.

“Today is a wonderful culmination to what, for me, has always been a constituent-driven public policy process,” Bye said. “Consumers and businesses in my Senate district and across Connecticut expect and deserve affordable, faster Internet speeds. Connecticut needs to create an Internet atmosphere that fosters and retains businesses and young people to stay and grow here. Today’s action by the FCC dovetails perfectly with those goals and with our state Gig project.”

The concept of net neutrality deals with treating all Internet traffic in the same way. Without it Internet service providers could give preferential treatment to certain types of traffic.

Bye was part of a delegation from Connecticut. Members discussed the CT Gig project with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. The project is a consortium of 46 municipalities in the state that are seeking to bring gigabit-speed Internet to a large portion of the state

The FCC’s vote will likely face a number of legal challenges from Internet service providers. Some Republican members of Congress have also said they are looking into ways to nullify the commission’s decision.

Image via David Davies/Flickr Commons