I had almost given up hope that someone was going take a stand against the FCC’s Net Neutrality rules that were announced purposefully in the midst of the holiday season. It took a while but Verizon has made the first move in challenging what was starting to look like a ‘fait accompli’.
In fact, Verizon has gone all out and filed a suit in a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. seeking to overturn the rules arguing that the the FCC doesn’t have the authority to make or even enforce the rules. One wonders why it took so long for a challenge to come and how long before other like-minded CSPs join the party.
As mentioned previously in this blog, the internet seemed to be coping quite well on its own without any particular authority trying to govern how it should work. It was becoming increasingly apparent that whilst the FCC may have felt justified to force its will on the US market there was no indication of any other authorities elsewhere rushing to join suit.
Even though the rules were toned down so that major operators, particularly those wireless-based including AT&T, would be more comfortable, it did not appease Verizon, and rightly so. MocoNews.net believes Verizon is taking advantage of the FCC’s weakened position after Comcast won a previous court victory questioning its authority. What makes the Verizon so interesting is that it has filed the very same court for its hearing that has six of the nine sitting judges appointed by the Republicans.
In a brief statement about the filing of the suit, Verizon said it’s still dedicated to an open internet, but the company “believe(s) this assertion of authority goes well beyond any authority provided by Congress, and creates uncertainty for the communications industry, innovators, investors and consumers.”
US telecommunications companies are amongst the biggest contributors to political campaign funds and lobbying of congressmen in the USA. They are major generators of revenue and employ hundreds of thousands of people. Their influence and power is astounding and if they agree en masse to challenge the FCC be could be in for a great spectacle.