The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) net neutrality rules are due to come into force on 12 June after appearing on the Federal Register on Monday, prompting telco lobby group USTelecom to refile a lawsuit challenging the regulations.
New net neutrality rules were adopted by the FCC in late February and formally issued on 12 March. As per U.S. government procedure, they take effect 60 days after publication on the Federal Register, during which time groups that oppose them can file a legal challenge.
USTelecom, which counts major telcos and ISPs among its membership, is one such group.
While it supports the aims of the net neutrality rules – which prevent fixed and mobile broadband providers from blocking access to legal content, applications and services – it disputes the method, namely Title II of the Communications Act, which reclassifies broadband as a utility service rather than an information service.
This subjects operators to stricter rules controlling how they treat traffic on their networks, and blocks them from striking commercial agreements with online players to prioritise their service s.
"USTelecom believes the FCC used the wrong approach to implementing net neutrality standards, which our industry supports and incorporates into everyday business practices," said Walter McCormick, president of USTelecom, in a statement.
"Common carrier regulation slows innovation, chills investment, and leads to increased costs on consumers," he warned.
USTelecom actually filed its lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on 23 March, inadvertently jumping the gun in a bid to avoid missing a potential deadline for filing for review. Monday’s filing supplements the initial filing.
It calls for the court to scrap the net neutrality rules on the grounds that they are "arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion."
