FCC Rejects Latest Industry Attack on Net Neutrality Protections
WASHINGTON -- On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission summarily denied a series of frivolous requests from the cable, telephone and wireless lobbies to delay the implementation of the agency’s Open Internet Order.
In denying the stay requests, the FCC explained that its Order “maintains the status quo of an open Internet, which the Commission has committed to protect and promote since 2005” and noted that “[t]he record here was replete with evidence that the regulatory regime adopted in the Order is both essential to protect consumers and innovators against harms arising from a lack of openness and best serves the public interest.”
The broadband providers next plan to seek a stay of the agency's Title II reclassification order in federal court. They could file such requests within the next few days. Since the February ruling, nine Internet service providers and trade groups have filed lawsuits to overturn the Net Neutrality protections.
Free Press Policy Counsel Lauren Wilson made the following statement:
“The FCC took the only sensible course of action when it denied these meritless requests to delay the implementation of the agency’s common-sense open Internet framework. The phone and cable lobby will likely trot out these same tired arguments in court, once again bemoaning the fact that the FCC returned to Title II's solid legal foundation to protect Internet users from ISP plans to block, slow or throttle Internet connections.
“No matter how many times broadband providers repeat the same empty claims, the facts tell a different story. And while the ISPs’ Washington mouthpieces continue to insist that Title II kills broadband investment, Comcast, AT&T and other providers large and small have issued a flurry of announcements about new broadband deployments.
"The ISPs can't point to any irreparable and immediate harms that have come from the FCC’s Net Neutrality decision. That’s because there aren’t any. In fact, Title II barely came up in recent cable and phone company quarterly investor calls. Any time they were asked, the providers’ answer was the same: Title II hasn’t hurt their deployment plans.
“We look forward to explaining these facts in court and will continue to represent the interests of Internet users everywhere, including the millions who have urged Washington to protect Net Neutrality.”
