On June 14, 2016, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s 2015 Net Neutrality rules in their entirety.
The court ruled that the FCC had the authority to regulate broadband Internet access service as a “common carrier” service and to issue rules that police the relationship between customers, broadband Internet service providers, and Internet content and application companies.
In particular, FCC rules that prohibit unreasonable discrimination, including bans on “paid prioritization” relationships between broadband Internet service providers and content companies, and rules that require providers to disclose their terms of service for data caps and broadband speeds will remain on the books, after years of legal uncertainty.
The decision will likely be appealed by broadband providers to the U.S. Supreme Court. It will also most likely result in intensified calls by providers on Congress to pass legislation to restrict the FCC’s ability to enforce or expand rules enforcing net neutrality with respect to internet access.
Keep your ears to the ground on where this will go next, who stands with consumers, and who stands with corporate providers, then vote accordingly this fall. You can read more about this issue in a Policy Brief written by Connected Nation here.