The government may implement new regulations over the Internet that could cost the economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Despite the potentially large impact of these regulations, the broadcast news networks have barely covered the issue in the almost three months since President Barack Obama announced his support for rules to achieve “net neutrality” and a “free and open Internet.”

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Tom Wheeler said on Feb. 4 that he backed Obama’s plan to reclassify the Internet as a public utility under the government agency’s Title II authority. FCC commissioner Ajit Pai said in a press release on Feb. 6 that the plan “marks a monumental shift toward government control of the Internet.” Even a liberal think tank predicted that these regulations could result in a new $156 fee for American households.

Source: Joseph Rossell, mrc.org