FCC refuses to delay net neutrality rules
FCC refuses to delay net neutrality rules
The ageny still faces seven lawuits challenging the
regulations
By Grant Gross IDG News Service | May 9, 2015 9:30 AM PT
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has denied the
requests of several broadband providers and trade groups asking the agency to
delay its net neutrality rules.
The FCC, late Friday, denied petitions for a stay of its
net neutrality rules from Daniel Berninger, founder of the nonprofit Voice
Communication Exchange Committee, the American Cable Association, the National
Cable and Telecommunications Association, USTelecom, the Wireless Internet
Service Providers Association, AT&T and CenturyLink.
Berninger asked the FCC to delay its entire net
neutrality order, approved in February, while the trade groups and broadband
providers sought a delay in the portion of the order reclassifying broadband
from a lightly regulated information service to a regulated common carrier.
The groups had asked the FCC to delay the rules from
going into effect while courts deal with seven lawsuits challenging the
regulations.
Public Knowledge, a digital rights groups, praised the
FCC for denying the request. Reclassifying broadband under Title II of the
Telecommunications Act would enable the FCC to enforce several consumer
protections, the group said.
"The argument of the cable and telephone companies
hinged on the argument that respecting user privacy and requiring disability
access -- as required under Title II -- would be too great a burden,"
Harold Feld, the group's senior vice president, said by email. "The cable
and telephone companies will now go to [court] to argue that they will suffer
'irreparable harm' from all this privacy protection and the other consumer
protections in Title II."
The Telecommunications Industry Association, a trade
group for the manufacturers and suppliers of broadband networks, said it was
disappointed with the decision. The FCC refused "a fair and reasonable
request to delay the imposition of sweeping new regulations of the
Internet," the group said in a statement.
The net neutrality rules will hinder deployment of
broadband, the group added.
Comments
Post a Comment