美国国家公共电台 NPR FCC Chief Makes Case For Tackling Net Neutrality Violations 'After The Fact'

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

So if you like streaming shows on Netflix or Hulu, these next few months may be crucial for you. That is because the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to loosen government oversight¹ of internet service providers. The current rules, commonly referred to as net neutrality, require internet service providers to treat all internet traffic equally. So what does that mean for you? Well, your cable internet company can't, as of now, slow down your Netflix and, say, speed up its own streaming service to try and frustrate² you into watching something that they want you to watch. These rules were put into place two years ago after this massive debate that inspired a record number of public comments. I spoke³ yesterday to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. He says he supports an open internet.

AJIT PAI: If you look at how the internet has developed over the last 20 years, I think part of the reason why we have the digital economy that's the envy of the world is precisely⁴ because we've had a free and open internet that's benefited everybody.

GREENE: But he explained why he wants now to change how the regulations are enforced.

PAI: The FCC in a party line vote imposed what is known as Title II, a 1934 set of regulations developed during the Roosevelt administration to regulate Ma Bell, the AT&T telephone monopoly. And the argument that I've made is that these Title II regulations are like the proverbial sledgehammer being wielded⁵ against the flea⁶, that they are very prescriptive, and they don't match the internet marketplace, which is much more dynamic than the telephone monopoly was back in the 1930s. And going forward, I would like to embrace the Clinton-era approach, which we had from the 1990s until 2015. Let the marketplace evolve organically, and if you see any harm to consumers, then take targeted action to address that problem.

GREENE: Your critics would say that you talk a good game in saying that you believe in net neutrality but that you're actually weakening or proposing to weaken some of the really important enforcement that is crucial. So let me just see if we can deal with a specific. I'm sort of a "House Of Cards" guy.

PAI: (Laughter).

GREENE: What's your favorite show to stream?

PAI: There have been many of them. I just got done streaming "Broadchurch." I streamed "Game Of Thrones" - regularly sacrifice sleep in order to see some of these shows that I like.

GREENE: (Laughter) You're a streaming guy.

PAI: Oh, absolutely.

GREENE: OK. So one principle of net neutrality is - as I understand it - is I get to watch my "House Of Cards" at the same speed as anything else. My internet company can't, say, take money from a competitor of Netflix to make that stream faster and slow down my episode of "House Of Cards." Is that a fair way to look at this?

PAI: First and foremost, we want to make sure that all content that is lawful⁷ on the internet can be accessed by consumers. That's a bedrock protection of the open internet that I think everybody would agree with. Secondly⁸, we want to make sure that we have the ability to allow all kinds of streaming companies, others who create content on the internet, to be able to reach consumers. And so on a case-by-case basis, let's figure out what types of conduct that would harm consumers or innovators and take action if we see something like that arise.

GREENE: But couldn't, say, a big company like Comcast or Verizon figure out a way without enforcements in place to make more money by favoring its own streaming services?

PAI: I don't believe so for a couple of different reasons. Number one, especially in the internet age, consumers are able to complain to the Federal Trade Commission authorities, the Justice Department, the FCC, other state agencies as well. And secondly, these agencies on their own have the ability to initiate⁹ investigations¹⁰. And moreover, we have to remember that that pre-emptive regulation comes at a cost. Those very small providers that we want to inject some competition into the marketplace, those are the ones that will be disproportionately squeezed by pre-emptive regulation. And so to the extent that you're worried about the big players, we have to remember that a solution to that is to get more small players into the marketplace.

GREENE: Well, let me just ask - I mean, your bio on the FCC's website says that the agency proceeds best on the basis of consensus¹¹. If public opinion would prefer to treat the internet like a utility, are you willing to vote the other way?

PAI: We have to make a decision based on what is called substantial evidence. We have to take a look at the record and have enough of a factual grounding for our policy choice to be able to see that the agency made a reasoned decision. And so that's the aim that we have under this FCC is to make sure that we proceed in a way that preserves the free and open internet and preserves that incentive¹² to invest in networks. And those are the twin goals that we're going to be focused on.

GREENE: Chairman Pai, thank you so much for taking the time, real pleasure talking to you.

PAI: It's been a pleasure talking to you as well.

GREENE: That's Ajit Pai. He is the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

1 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

2 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

5 wielded   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The bad eggs wielded power, while the good people were oppressed. 坏人当道，好人受气
• He was nominally the leader, but others actually wielded the power. 名义上他是领导者，但实际上是别人掌握实权。

6 flea   

n.跳蚤

参考例句：

• I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。
• Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

7 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

8 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

9 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

12 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。