The Federal Communications Commission on Dec. 14 repealed “net neutrality” protections that ensured internet service providers would enable equal access to content and applications regardless of the source and without favoring or blocking products or websites. In a party-line vote, the Republican majority opted to slacken the rules, granting internet service providers the power to influence loading speeds for specific websites or apps. 

The repeal of net neutrality could allow cable and telecom companies to become gatekeepers for online content and restrict data-intensive services to “fast lanes” available only to those who can pay. The change is expected to have a detrimental impact on public schools, where educators rely heavily on technology; 94 percent of school districts in the country currently have access to high-speed internet. Schools without access to high-speed internet are mostly in low-income districts and, without net neutrality, that inequality could increase.

“One of the key elements of the internet is that it provides immediate access to a huge range of high-quality resources that are really useful to teachers,” says Richard Culatta, the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education. “But when carriers can choose to prioritize paid content over freely available content, schools really are at risk.”

NPR, Dec. 13
NPR, Dec. 14