Democrats plan new legislation to establish net neutrality rules

Two Democratic senators are planning to reopen a high-stakes battle over internet access in the coming weeks, with a bill aiming to restore net neutrality regulations for broadband providers that a Republican-led Federal Communications Commission gutted in 2017.

The draft bill from Sens. Ed Markey and Ron Wyden would explicitly classify high-speed internet as a telecommunications service, according to two people familiar with the matter, enshrining into law the FCC's authority to regulate internet service providers (ISPs) with tough rules similar to the ones it imposes on legacy telephone providers.

The Senate legislation will likely be introduced before Congress breaks for summer recess, while a similar bill in the House is being developed by Rep. Doris Matsui, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss unannounced bills. The coming legislative push was first reported by The Washington Post.