President Barack Obama put telecommunications and cable companies in his crosshairs Monday, calling on the Federal Communications Commission to defend a free and open Internet by regulating broadband service like a public utility.
In his most forceful comments yet in support of net neutrality, Obama said in a statement that the FCC should create “the strongest possible rules” to stop “paid prioritization” and other actions that favor the transmission of certain content. The statement came as the agency is considering regulations intended to dissuade Comcast Corp., Verizon Communications Inc. and other Internet service providers from striking deals that allow content from companies such as Netflix Inc. to get to customers more reliably. The FCC has received nearly 4 million comments on its rule making.
