In May, after voting 3-2 to move ahead with a net neutrality plan that would allow Internet providers to charge websites for faster service, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a new proceeding in an effort to seek public opinion on the best way forward to preserve Open Internet access in the United States. As the primary authority for communications law, regulation and technological innovation, the FCC has been grappling with how to address the net neutrality issue after the D.C. Court of Appeals struck down portions of the 2010 Open Internet Order in January.

The first round of public comments began on May 15 and ended on July 18. In just a little over two months, the FCC received over 1.1 million responses to its request for comments. The agency expects even more before the end of its second commenting period on September 10th, when the public will reply to already filed comments.  Consumers, industry groups, companies large and small, and academia all filed comments expressing their opinion on the FCC’s proposed plan.

eBay Inc. filed its own comments to the FCC in July. In the comments, we explained how the Open Internet is integral to the continued ability of small businesses to gain global opportunities that otherwise would not be available. For the continued success of the small businesses community in the United States, eBay Inc. believes that the Internet should remain open to all and afford minimal barriers to entry for commercial and non-commercial users. In our statement, we urged the Commission to establish clear regulatory tools that ensure an Open Internet and that gatekeepers cannot restrict the ability of users to compete in the "most important channel for communications and commerce." Read eBay Inc.’s comments to the FCC.

In addition to seeking public comment, the FCC announced that starting in September the Commission would be holding Open Internet roundtables to continue their efforts on understanding public opinion on the Net Neutrality debate. According to the FCC, roundtables will provide an opportunity for the Commission to further “examine the actions the Commission should take for its goal of determining the best approach to protecting and promoting Internet openness.”

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