Court Rules to Hear Net Neutrality Challenge

You would think that carriers like Verizon and MetroPCS would be a bit ashamed to demand the right to discriminate among customers on their networks. But these companies seem intent on using the courts to overturn the FCC rules on net neutrality.

In late February, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals announced it will hear the case brought by Verizon and Metro PCS challenging the FCC's open Internet rules. These case will likely be heard in the fall of 2012.

The FCC's net neutrality rules, originally adopted in December 2010, limit internet providers from favoring or discriminating against traffic that travels across their networks. The rules - which are working to protect an open Internet - took effect in November 2011.

The Communications Workers of America has supported the rules since they were announced. As we noted in a December 2010 press release:

"The Communications Workers of America supports Chairman Genachowski's initiative to sustain open Internet principles and create the stable conditions necessary for critical investment and quality job creation in broadband networks."

As CWA said in 2010, and continues to stress:

"The buildout of true 21st century broadband networks has been stalled over the net neutrality debate; it's critical that we end the gridlock and shift our focus to the investment that will allow the United States to catch up with the rest of the world."

Unfortunately, the legal challenge - if successful - will re-open a contentious debate and divert attention from the real challenges we face to bring our nation's high-speed infrastructure up to global standards.

It's baaaack. Net neutrality to get its day in court (gigaom.com, Mar. 2, 2012)

FCC chairman’s initiative on open internet will jumpstart broadband buildout (CWA news release, Dec. 1, 2010)