Telecom industry groups are suing to block Biden’s restoration of net neutrality

Several groups representing the U.S. telecommunications industry have filed legal challenges in an attempt to prevent the Biden administration from restoring net neutrality rules, which are scheduled to go into effect on July 22.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its Democratic commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines in April to reaffirm their oversight of broadband internet through net neutrality rules, which were adopted in 2015 during the Obama administration but repealed by Trump administration after taking control of the agency.

Reintroducing the regulations would prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking, throttling, or engaging in paid content prioritization, which was the framework of the 2015 Net Neutrality Regulation. It would also give the FCC new tools to revoke permissions from foreign-owned entities operating broadband networks. in the US that are considered a threat to national security.

In recent days, industry groups representing AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and others have filed legal challenges in seven U.S. district courts against the FCC’s net neutrality order. By filing complaints in multiple circuit courts, it creates the possibility of a “split circuit” if different courts issue conflicting rulings, making it more likely that the Supreme Court will take up the case.

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These groups include USTelecom, NCTA, CTIA and ACA Connects, which have asked the FCC to pause the order from taking effect so they can seek judicial review or, if necessary, a court order temporarily blocking the new rules pending review.

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They argued that the FCC “has once again claimed comprehensive authority to regulate how Americans access the Internet – this time by adopting even more invasive rules than in 2015.”

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FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic nominee, said the agency would not continue to regulate rates and “will not weaken incentives to invest in networks.”

Restoring net neutrality has been a priority for President Biden since taking office, and in 2021 he signed an executive order urging the FCC to implement appropriate regulations.

But Democrats faced obstacles for nearly three years, as they only took majority control of the five-member FCC in October. Commissioners serve staggered five-year terms, although they can extend their terms until the end of the session of Congress that begins after the expiration of their fixed term, effectively giving them an additional year and a half in office.

During the Trump administration, the FCC argued that net neutrality rules were unnecessary, stifled innovation and caused ISPs to slow investment in broadband networks.

The Obama administration’s Trump-era rollback of FCC net neutrality rules prompted more than a dozen states to impose their own net neutrality laws or regulatory frameworks. Industry groups dropped legal challenges to these laws at the state level in May 2022.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Original article source: Telecom industry groups are suing to block Biden’s restoration of net neutrality