Dive Brief:

• Outgoing FCC chairman Tom Wheeler warned that businesses could "lose their choice of cloud services and applications" if the incoming Trump administration repeals net neutrality rules, CIO reports.

• Speaking at the Aspen Institute, a think tank Wheeler will join after leaving government this Friday, Wheeler said not regulating broadband and wireless networks was an unwise move that would curb innovation.

• "Whether it's Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure or Salesforce.com's integrated cloud-based activities, ISPs free from open access obligations and behavioral oversight can choke growth and innovation, or, at least, demand tribute for passing over their network," Wheeler said.

Dive Insight:

Wheeler’s last ditch effort to protect net neutrality rules, which he views as one of the FCC’s greatest accomplishments under his chairmanship, will likely fall on deaf ears. Republicans, who will soon hold a majority at the FCC, have said net neutrality is bad for business and will curb investment in network infrastructure.

Republicans have already hinted at plans to make significant changes once they are in control, including potentially repealing net neutrality rules the Obama administration passed in 2015

Net neutrality rules prevent internet providers from charging websites like Netflix and Facebook a fee to access users at faster speeds. Dissolving net neutrality rules would be a benefit to internet providers, but a setback for companies that stream or transfer large amounts of content.