Washington Post

By Cecilia Kang

With a unanimous vote to move forward on a rule-making process for how the federal government will police access to the Internet, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski won a victory on his first major policy issue at the agency.

The chairman, picked by President Obama, said, "The heart of the problem is that, taken together, we face a dangerous combination of an uncertain legal framework with ongoing as well as emerging challenges to a free and open Internet."

Republican Commissioners Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker voted in favor of the proposal but said they dissented on "facts" of the proposal. They said their votes are for the beginning of a data-gathering process, which should last at least 120 days. They did not say whether they will vote in favor of ultimate rules and have disagreed that the Internet appears to need more regulation.

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