By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – Federal Communications Commission rules essentially treating the nation’s internet transmission cables as a public utility were largely rolled back last week. The FCC ruling, however, will have to jump through a number of government hoops before it can become a reality.

With net neutrality regulations on track to be reversed, supporters of the rules are warning that the internet will never be the same again. Congressional Democrats want to challenge the ruling by passing a law.

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, thinks they should have done that years ago before the rules were put in place.

“Let’s have the debate. Let’s move a bill,” Shimkus said. “Let’s force regulators to comply with the will of the people rather than legislators responding to the dictates of a federal agency.”

Instead, Shimkus said, Obama’s FCC took matters into its own hands. As the senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over this issue, Shimkus thinks a bipartisan bill is entirely possible.

“What we hope is that [U.S. Rep and subcommittee chair] Marsha Blackburn will start conducting hearings,” he said, adding that his committee has set regulatory direction on a number of major issues. Internet regulation shouldn’t be any different.

Blackburn filed legislation Tuesday that would reinstate a number of protections included in net neutrality rules but has been criticized by content providers as not going far enough.

Shimkus welcomed a return to what he called a “light touch” involvement by government regulators, saying it will encourage competition for the business of rural residents, many of whom have as few as one internet provider giving slow internet speeds at high rates. Advocates have said this contributes to a learning gap between rural-area youth and their urban counterparts.