CEO DATELINE - More associations line up to sue FCC on net neutrality

April 15, 2015 |
Walt Williams

Four trade groups file separate lawsuits

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The American Cable Association and National Cable and Telecommunications Association said Tuesday they had filed separate lawsuits against the Federal Communication Commission's new net neutrality rules, raising the number of association suits against the rules to four.

The announcements by the two groups followed on the heels of the U.S. Telecom Association and CTIA-The Wireless Association filing lawsuits of their own against FCC. In addition, AT&T filed a lawsuit the same day.

FCC voted in February to approve new rules that could ultimately prevent Internet providers like AT&T from charging content providers extra to ensure customers have faster access to their data. President Barack Obama and many Internet-based businesses support the new rules, but Internet providers contend they represent a heavy-handed government intrusion into the free market.

"Instead of letting regulators play the central role in determining how the Internet evolves, (Congress) wanted these decisions to be left to the creativity of entrepreneurs, engineers and consumers. The commission's decision to expand its power and apply heavy regulation has undermined that core principle," said Theodore Olson, a former U.S. Solicitor General who is representing NCTA in the lawsuit. http://bit.ly/1FTG3z6

Several associations have spoken out against the FCC decision, but a few support the rules. The Internet Association and Computer & Communications Industry Association have issued statements in support of net neutrality in the past. Neither had issued comments about the lawsuits as of Wednesday morning.