Court upholds FCC rules in battle over net neutrality
WASHINGTON, June 15, 2016 - A federal appeals court voted to
uphold Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules for Internet providers in
a victory for advocates of so-called “net neutrality” on Tuesday. But legal
challenges are expected to continue and several sources expect the U.S. Supreme
Court (SCOTUS) will ultimately decide the fate of these regulations.
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the FCC has the authority to reclassify
Internet service providers (ISPs) as “common carriers,” which means the agency
can more tightly regulate ISPs in much the same way it regulates telephone
service providers.
As a result, the agency will now be able to enforce net
neutrality rules that it passed last year, prohibiting companies like Comcast
and Verizon from being able to block or speed up certain sites or types of content
from companies who pay for so-called “Internet fast lanes.”
“Today’s ruling is a
victory for consumers and innovators who deserve unfettered access to the
entire web, and it ensures the internet remains a platform for unparalleled
innovation, free expression and economic growth,” said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler
in a statement.
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association
expressed disappointment with the court’s decision and said it wants lawmakers
to “renew their efforts to craft meaningful legislation that can end ongoing
uncertainty, promote network investment and protect consumers.”
And NTCA–The Rural Broadband
Association said it has “serious concerns about some of the specific ways in
which the FCC has sought to expand and apply certain Title II regulations to
broadband. “At the same time, the association has consistently stressed the
need for common-sense rules of the road to govern how various entities interact
in the broadband marketplace,” said Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield
in a statement.
“We urge the commission to avoid regulatory over-reach in
the decision’s wake and to focus instead on how best to adapt existing rules in
a thoughtful, limited, clear-cut way as necessary specifically to promote
certainty and serve core statutory principles such as universal service and
consumer protection,” Bloomfield added.
#30
For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
