According to recent reports, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has made some last minute changes to his plan of net neutrality.
The news comes after Google and various public interest groups pressed Wheeler to make changes.
Other smaller technology companies such as the Internet Freedom Business Alliance also pressured Wheeler to make changes to the language of his net neutrality plan.
Last week Google and the other groups asked the FCC to revise language that they said could enable internet service providers to charge websites money for sending their customers content.
If this were to happen, it could result in website having to pay a large amount of new fees, and it could lead to the destruction of their business models.
It is unclear exactly what changes were made to the current plan. However, they are unlikely to change the main purpose of Wheeler’s plan.
The net neutrality plan would regulate the internet much like that of a public utility in order to ensure that internet service providers treat all web traffic the same way.
The plan is expected to be approved, despite concerns that it will put a damper on investment. Most Democrats support net neutrality, while Republicans are opposed to it.
Still, the fact that Google was able to get the FCC Chairman to make last minute changes shows the lobbying power that the major technology company possesses.
Advocacy groups such as the Free Press have also been involved in the debate over net neutrality, saying that they support net neutrality in order to protect freedom on the internet.
Wheeler declined to comment on the issue. He will need the full support of the two FCC Democrat commissioners, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, in order to overcome the objections of the two FCC Republican commissioners.
GOP Commissioner Ajit Pai has already said that he will vote against Wheeler’s proposal.
Wheeler’s plan for net neutrality is supposedly 317 pages long.
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