Short History of Net Neutrality
1984 - Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984
"The new law attempted to strike a delicate balance between the FCC, local governments, and marketplace competition, where in the past, each of these entities had vied for dominance. The Cable Act was to be the solution to the ongoing problem of who, or what, should exercise the most power over local cable operations." - Williams (Preceived Impact of The Cable Policy Act of 1984)
The FCC attempted to create a balance in power for the cable providers and major chains. The act established regulations regarding franchise standards and proceeds that would attempt to strengthen the development of cable systems.The act gave municipalities, governing bodies of cities and towns, principal authority to grant and renew franchise licenses for cable operations.
1992 - Cable Communications Policy Act of 1992
"The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 encompassed various areas such as ensuring the growth of cable operators under effective competition, expanding the diversity of view and information through increased availability of cable television to the public, and protecting the interests of video programmers and consumers." - FCC.gov (Public Law 102-385)
In order to allow competition and fair access to programming by direct-broadcast satellite providers, the act also contained a provision that required cable channels to offer their carriage to satellite providers at reasonable rates if they were owned by a cable provider themselves. The basis was to keep the field open to all and with an excess amount of space and resources users will be able to have a large field to chose from and providers will be able to battle it out on the market without the fear of being shut out due to a diminish amount of space.
1996 - Telecommunication Act of 1996
"The Act's stated objective was to open up markets to competition by removing regulatory barriers to entry: The conference report refers to the bill “to provide for a pro-competitive, de-regulatory national policy framework designed to accelerate rapidly private sector deployment of advanced information technologies and services to all Americans by opening all telecommunications markets to competition”. Congress attempted to create a regulatory framework for the transition from primarily monopoly provision to competitive provision of telecommunications services." - Conference Report (Telecommunication Act of 1996)
The basis of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was to keep the open market for all companies to have a fair chance. The law also stated that the companies could not close off any options and data to anyone, the market feel like the cable companies and just because a specific provider does not like the show that a channel is showing does not give them the right to block it off even if they show is openly bashing the provider because it falls in the freedom of speech.
1984 - Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984
"The new law attempted to strike a delicate balance between the FCC, local governments, and marketplace competition, where in the past, each of these entities had vied for dominance. The Cable Act was to be the solution to the ongoing problem of who, or what, should exercise the most power over local cable operations." - Williams (Preceived Impact of The Cable Policy Act of 1984)
The FCC attempted to create a balance in power for the cable providers and major chains. The act established regulations regarding franchise standards and proceeds that would attempt to strengthen the development of cable systems.The act gave municipalities, governing bodies of cities and towns, principal authority to grant and renew franchise licenses for cable operations.
1992 - Cable Communications Policy Act of 1992
"The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 encompassed various areas such as ensuring the growth of cable operators under effective competition, expanding the diversity of view and information through increased availability of cable television to the public, and protecting the interests of video programmers and consumers." - FCC.gov (Public Law 102-385)
In order to allow competition and fair access to programming by direct-broadcast satellite providers, the act also contained a provision that required cable channels to offer their carriage to satellite providers at reasonable rates if they were owned by a cable provider themselves. The basis was to keep the field open to all and with an excess amount of space and resources users will be able to have a large field to chose from and providers will be able to battle it out on the market without the fear of being shut out due to a diminish amount of space.
1996 - Telecommunication Act of 1996
"The Act's stated objective was to open up markets to competition by removing regulatory barriers to entry: The conference report refers to the bill “to provide for a pro-competitive, de-regulatory national policy framework designed to accelerate rapidly private sector deployment of advanced information technologies and services to all Americans by opening all telecommunications markets to competition”. Congress attempted to create a regulatory framework for the transition from primarily monopoly provision to competitive provision of telecommunications services." - Conference Report (Telecommunication Act of 1996)
The basis of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was to keep the open market for all companies to have a fair chance. The law also stated that the companies could not close off any options and data to anyone, the market feel like the cable companies and just because a specific provider does not like the show that a channel is showing does not give them the right to block it off even if they show is openly bashing the provider because it falls in the freedom of speech.