Net neutrality, which came into effect in 2015, is a hotly debated topic in the communications industry. Simply put, the principle upholds neutrality for all types of data on the network. Internet service providers (ISPs) should provide access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking specific products, websites or applications.

The issue is rearing its head once again as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler gets ready to step down from his post this Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

According to a recent article on Wired, 2017 is the year Donald Trump will kill net neutrality. Republican FCC commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly have made comments to suggest they could roll back many of the regulations passed under Wheeler.

For example, “President-elect Trump has repeatedly noted the detrimental impact of the current stifling regulatory environment on the American economy overall, and he has promised fast relief,” O’Rielly is quoted as saying at an event last month.

However, in his final speech on Friday at the Aspen Institute on Future of Broadband series, Wheeler made one last stand to defend the rules he championed during his three-year tenure.

“Tampering with the Open Internet rules means taking away protections that consumers in the online world enjoy today,” Wheeler said. “What some describe as free market economics cannot simply mean freeing incumbents of their responsibilities.”

Where’s the fire?

Wheeler added that, “Network investment is up, investment in innovative services is up, and ISPs revenues – and stock prices – are at record levels. So, where’s the fire? Other than the desires of a few ISPs to be free of meaningful oversight, why the sudden rush to undo something that is demonstrably working?”

He also said that reversing the Open Internet Order would not be easy or a “slam dunk”.

As Donald Trump takes office this week, watch this space.

For a look at some of the key arguments around net neutrality for communications service providers, read this article by Infosys’ Anurag Vardhan Sinha.