(KNXV/CNN) - Obama-era net neutrality rules were enacted to regulate internet service providers.
They prevent those providers, the largest being Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon, from blocking internet content, throttling bandwidth and enabling paid prioritization for specific websites.
And as of June 11, the Federal Communications Commission is rolling net neutrality back.
These new rules are going to affect the way internet providers do business, though major internet service providers say the web will remain essentially unchanged after net neutrality rules are rolled back.
There are a few things consumers should keep an eye out for once deregulation goes into effect.
Zero-rating plans, also called sponsored data plans, allow customers to access a specific service without using data. ISP's use zero-rating plans to promote a service, usually one they own or have a stake in.
Data caps are expected to become widespread for broadband service. If customers hit their data limit, ISP's could either throttle their bandwidth, or charge fees for increased data usage.
Paid-prioritization enables ISP's to charge access fees to content providers like Google, Facebook, and Netflix to send content to consumers. And the fees could vary, depending on the bandwidth required.
Companies that pay more are essentially given higher priority. Paid prioritization can lead to price hikes for internet access
Content providers can raise subscription rates or monthly fees for customers to offset the cost of access fees.
And the last major concern is blocked content. ISP's could change their terms of service to censor content deemed offensive or immoral.
Or they could block websites or apps that offer competing services to their own.
The most effective way for consumers to protect themselves from any upcoming change is to read the fine print on their service plans.
ISP's will have to disclose changes they make because of deregulation.
So, consumers should have access to updated information about data caps, paid-prioritization or any other changes a service provider may make.
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