U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday proposed vacating Obama-era net neutrality rules, handing a victory to broadband providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. that oppose the regulations.

‘I look forward to returning to the light-touch, market-based framework that unleashed the digital revolution and benefited consumers here and around the world,’ Pai said in an emailed news release. Pai said he had presented his proposal to fellow FCC commissioners, and set for a vote on Dec. 14.

Silicon Valley firms and other supporters of the rules adopted in 2015 by a Democratic-led FCC say they are needed to keep network owners from favoring their own content and discouraging web startups. Critics say the rules discourage investment while exposing companies to a threat of heavier regulation including pricing mandates.

Internet service providers lauded the move, and Democrats and consumer advocates objected.

‘The removal of antiquated, restrictive regulations will pave the way for broadband network investment, expansion and upgrades,’ Jonathan Spalter, chief executive officer of the trade group USTelecom with member including AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc., said in an emailed statement.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, called the move ‘an all-out assault on the entrepreneurship, innovation and competition at the heart of the internet.’

‘The administration is moving to destroy the openness and dynamism of the internet,’ Pelosi said in an email message.

The 2015 regulation survived a court challenge from broadband providers last year.

Pai said he was moving away from ‘heavy-handed, utility-style regulations upon the internet.’

Rules to be set aside include a ban on blocking or slowing web traffic, and a prohibition on offering ‘fast lanes’ that give quicker service to content providers willing to pay extra. Broadband providers have argued that competition will ensure they don’t unfairly squelch traffic.

Pai’s proposal is the latest step in a years-long tug-of-war over regulations dictating how companies such as AT&T and Comcast allow access to internet content — from Facebook Inc.’s social media site to Netflix Inc.’s streaming videos.

‘Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the Internet,’ Pai said. ‘Instead, the FCC would simply require internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that’s best for them.’

Republican Representatives Greg Walden, of Oregon, and Marsha Blackburn, of Tennessee, said Pai’s plan shows the FCC “understands the importance of making sure the internet continues to flourish under a light-touch regulatory regime.”

Consumers Union called the proposal ‘an enormous loss for consumers’ that ‘would give internet service providers more power and control over the websites we can visit.’

‘This move would likely lead to consumers paying higher prices for the internet access and speeds they have today,’ Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel at Consumers Union, said in an emailed message.