Current FCC Chairman and former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai has been confirmed by the US Senate to serve another term in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ArsTechnica reports.
In his eight months as FCC Chairman, Pai has most notably tried to reverse the February 2015 reclassification of internet service providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. The would mean the end of net neutrality, which states that service providers cannot degrade internet connections based on their origin. Prior to this classification, there were numerous of examples of ISP's throttling services like Netflix in order to bolster their own offerings.
Pai has also taken aim at programs designed to help low-income users afford Internet, has allowed ISPs to easily hide fees and data caps from consumers, and has made the bizarre claim that mobile Internet is fast and stable enough for home use, even as Verizon and other carriers throttle heavy mobile data users. Pai also wants to ensure more Americans have access to broadband by lowering the broadband standard speed from 25Mbps to 10Mbps.
