After a long fight to defend the free and open internet, net neutrality rules go into effect today. The rules are moving forward despite a last-ditch effort from cable company operators to block the rules.
Telecommunications industry interests attempted to get the courts to place a temporary hold on the net neutrality rules until their lawsuit against them has a chance to go ahead. That attempt was unsuccessful, paving the way for the FCC rules to move forward as written. The ruling as not a comment on the merits of the telecommunications lawsuit, but only on whether a stay could be applied.
“I plan to fight the Order all the way to the Supreme Court,” Daniel Berninger, founder of the Voice Communication Exchange told the Washington Post.
So, until a court rules otherwise, telecommunications companies will not be allowed to block, throttle, or attempt paid prioritization for content providers. There is also a “general conduct” standard included in the rules that provides the FCC some cover if it finds that providers are abusing their position.
Opponents of a free and open internet are arguing through the lawsuit and lobbyists that the new rules amount to federal overreach. They also say that the FCC will have too much latitude to bring claims against private companies in the future.
Oral arguments for the lawsuit are expected to begin in January.
