OTT Boom an Effect of Net Neutrality, Says Ex-FCC Chairman Wheeler

Chalk up over-the-top services from Disney, ESPN and other programmers in part to the FCC net neutrality order, since it blocks cable ISPs from denying, degrading or deprioritizing Disney access even when it competes with their cable services, former Chairman Tom Wheeler blogged for the Brookings Institution Tuesday. He said AT&T, one of the biggest champions of the Communications Act Title II regulation rollback, benefits since its DirecTV, which competes with cable, can't be discriminated against on a cable system's broadband capacity. AT&T didn't comment. Wheeler also said reports the GOP House leadership warned edge providers that net neutrality activism could hurt them in other policy issues (see 1708110054) was akin to mob extortion. He likened the open internet rule, including general conduct language, to Disney's Jiminy Cricket character in Pinocchio, "sit[ting] on the shoulder of broadband providers to make sure they do the right thing."