In details leaked to the Wall Street Journal, the updated rules will seek to reclassify ISPs under Title II of the Communications Act, which would mean a ban on internet “fast lanes”.
FCC chairman Tom Wheeler is expected to present his plan on Thursday before the scheduled vote on February 26.
The move – which will also encompass mobile broadband – will see the internet regulated as a public utility and subjected to stricter regulation, specifically in how traffic is managed on networks.
The key element of the plan would be a ban on broadband providers blocking, slowing down or speeding up specific websites in exchange for payment.
Wheeler’s proposal will also reportedly place “paid peering” under Title II. This gives the FCC the authority to regulate deals on the back end of the internet, where ISPs like Comcast and AT&T are demanding that content providers like Netflix pay more to connect their networks directly to the ISPs’ networks.
