On Dec. 23, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Report and Order (R&O), and the text of the net neutrality rules it adopted on Dec. 21, 2010. The rules are summarized in our prior advisory, but the R&O contains many important details and nuances. (For the full text of the order, see Report and Order).
Transparency
The R&O offers a detailed illustration of the wide ranging disclosure that wireline and wireless providers must provide of commercial terms, performance, and network management practices. The sample disclosure includes “typical frequency of congestion” for networks that manage congestion; how any specialized services may affect the last-mile capacity available for, and the performance of, broadband Internet access service; third-party device and application approval procedures for mobile broadband providers; security mechanisms; details on any inspection of network traffic, and the storage or transfer of such data; and practices for resolving end-user and edge provider complaints and questions.