As soon as the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially published its new net neutrality rules to Federal Register on Monday, three new wireless carriers, The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, CTIA and the American Cable Association filed their opposition suit with DC Circuit Court of Appeals today. USTelecom filed its opposition early.
The Associations see this as an open attack on innovative companies and their customers. "With today’s filing, CTIA seeks to protect the competitive mobile marketplace that thrived under a deregulatory framework for decades. The FCC’s new internet rules are full service regulations that will harm mobile consumers and providers across the country, as well as our nation's wireless future," said Ron Smith, Chairman, CTIA Board and CEO of Bluegrass Cellular. "Instead of letting consumers decide the success of new, innovative mobile services, government bureaucrats will now play that role,” he added.
The fight against the FCC’s net neutrality started since February. The rules are set to be effective from 60 days from Monday, on June 2012. The FCC will now have to defend its new rules in court.
The new regulation change the classification of wired and wireless broadband as regulated utility service rather than an information service, by invoking Title II of the Communications Act. The rules will thus, prohibit internet service providers from selling, slowing and blocking the priority delivery of content to consumers.
