It was only a matter of time. The FCC’s controversial net neutrality rules didn’t sit well with the telecom industry in the United States and the companies that dominate the industry intend to sue. The rules regulate Internet service providers in much the same way they would regulate telephone companies, and the telecom industry did not like that one bit.
U.S. broadband industry trade body USTelecom and Internet provider Alamo Broadband filed Monday lawsuits against a controversial U.S. Federal Communications Commission proposal to reclassify broadband providers, which could be the harbinger of similar lawsuits from Internet companies. The FCC voted by 3-2 in February to approve new net neutrality rules that would help ensure the uninhibited flow of Internet traffic. It aims to reclassify broadband as a regulated public utility, thus prohibiting providers from selectively blocking or throttling or offering paid prioritization of traffic. The new rules aim to regulate both wireless and wireline Internet services on the lines of traditional telephone companies, which are required to deliver service at “just and reasonable” rates and interconnect with each other. Small broadband providers will, however, be exempted from some of the new rules temporarily.
