---
title: "On Net Neutrality, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Had It Right the First Time"
summary: |-
  Using any form of Title II to implement net neutrality would hamper innovation and investment.
date: "2014-11-19"
issues: ["Broadband Access and Regulation"]
authors: ["Doug Brake"]
content_type: "Op-Eds & Contributed Articles"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2014/11/19/net-neutrality-fcc-chairman-tom-wheeler-had-it-right-first-time/"
---

# On Net Neutrality, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Had It Right the First Time

Even by the measure of the typical circus that is the net neutrality debate, the past few weeks have been busy. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler offered a widely-panned “trial balloon” on a hybrid approach, attempting to combine both available jurisdictional hooks to hang his net neutrality rules. But, he was quickly upstaged by President Obama’s statement announcing his support for “the strongest possible rules” protecting the open Internet by using Title II. Somehow we have lost sight of a simple fact: Wheeler’s net neutrality approach was right the first time.

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2014/11/19/net-neutrality-fcc-chairman-tom-wheeler-had-it-right-first-time/*