APARTMENT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION /
NATIONAL MULTIFAMILY HOUSING COUNCIL
Senate Votes to Reinstate Net Neutrality
Protections, House Approval Uncertain
T
he apartment industry and
its residents increasingly
depend on reliable high-
speed broadband service for
community amenities, marketing, leasing,
revenue management and more.
NAA/NMHC pay close attention
to regulatory and legislative
telecommunications policies that could
impact apartment development and
operations such as broadband deployment,
service provider agreements, and solutions
for connectivity and capacity challenges.
Net neutrality - or the Open Internet -
is the concept that internet service
providers should not block, “throttle” (slow
down or speed up online traffic) or allow
paid priority access that advantages or
disadvantages content providers. The Senate
approved a resolution on May 16 that would
overturn the Federal Communications
Commission’s (FCC) plan to roll back
Obama-era net neutrality protections,
which prohibited internet service
providers (ISPs) from prioritizing, slowing
or blocking online content.
The FCC’s plan would require
ISPs to be transparent about those
practices but would not prohibit them,
thereby depending on consumers to use
the platforms, choose a provider and
customize a service plan that suits their
needs. Supporters of the FCC action hold
that a “light-touch” regulatory approach
will create certainty in the market
and encourage broadband investment.
However, opponents of the plan say that
ISPs will favor their own content and
offer paid priority access, creating a system
where companies unable to shoulder the
Colorado’s Expert on Interior Upgrades, Renovations, and Turns
•Return on Investment Analysis •Product Bundling Discounts •We Have the Solution for Every Budget!!
Call today and learn how we are once again raising the STANDARD on interior renovations and turns!
303-985-8880
46 | TRENDS
JUNE 2018
www.aamdhq.org