FCC Issues Net Neutrality Compliance Guide for Small Entities
The FCC released a guide to help small businesses and other small organizations comply with its net neutrality rules. The Small Entity Compliance Guide provides an overview of the commission’s net neutrality order and accompanying rules, including transparency and disclosure…
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requirements. It's “not intended to replace the rules and, therefore, final authority rests solely with the rules,” said the guide issued Tuesday in docket 14-28. It summarized the FCC's three bright-line rules against Internet blocking, throttling and paid prioritization, and its general Internet conduct standard against unreasonable interference and unreasonable disadvantage. It also noted an enhanced transparency rule and a temporary exemption from related duties for broadband providers with 100,000 or fewer subscribers. The Consumer and Government Affair Bureau sought comment on whether to retain the exemption, and if so, at what subscriber threshold. Commenters voiced broad support for extending or making permanent the exemption, and some of the filers told us they were optimistic the bureau would keep the exemption (see 1508060057). Most reply commenters also backed expanding the definition of an exempted small broadband provider -- 100,000 or fewer broadband connections -- to the Small Business Administration's definition of 500,000 connections or fewer (see 1509110066). Some House Republicans recently asked that the exemption be made permanent (see 1511200044). A bureau decision is due by Dec. 15.