And there goes net neutrality

In a decision dreaded by advocates of a free and open Internet, the Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to overturn regulations mandating net neutrality. The move represented a major victory for Ajit Pai, the former Jeff Sessions staffer and Verizon lawyer who was appointed chairman of the FCC by President Donald Trump, and has long crusaded against what he calls "heavy-handed" regulation of the telecommunications industry.

[...]

The [repealed] regulations, put into place by Pai's predecessor Tom Wheeler in 2015, codified longstanding Internet practice by explicitly requiring ISPs to treat all Internet traffic equally. In contrast to a cable provider, which can decide exactly what networks or services customers get for their monthly fee, ISPs [were] forbidden from discriminating among their customers. When you pay your fee to get online, you get everything. But under the new regime, a handful of the most powerful telecommunication companies in the U.S. – Comcast, Verizon, AT&T – will have unlimited freedom to slice and dice the Internet ecology as they please.

The most likely outcome, say net neutrality advocates, is that prices will go up, variety and diversity will go down and the largest, best-capitalized Internet companies will gain a significant advantage over upstart competitors. It's a punishing blow to believers in the founding dream of the Internet as a great equalizer, a network that grants everyone free rein to do anything.

[...]

"As a consumer, that means some of your favorite websites are going to load more slowly, and it also may mean some of your favorite content goes away because the provider just can't pay the fee."

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"You are no longer going to be the one in control," says Sohn. "Comcast, AT&T and Verizon will pick and choose the winners and losers, instead of you choosing winners and losers."

  Rollingstone

I'm expecting a big lawsuit.

....but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.