Broadband giants sue the FCC to stop new net neutrality rules


The only surprise here is the timing: On Monday, the lobbying group US Telecom filed what amounts to a placeholder lawsuit to block the Federal Communications Commission's decision to reclassify broadband internet as a Title II utility, as a way to enforce net neutrality. US Telecom counts among its members Verizon, AT&T, and other broadband heavyweights. Texas provider Alamo Broadband filed a similar, separate suit Monday with the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.
US Telecom, which filed its suit with the federal appellate court in Washington, D.C., and Alamo jumped in because they didn't want their actual lawsuits to be dismissed on a technicality. The FCC says that challenges can be filed up to 60 days after its net neutrality rules are published in the Federal Register, expected in the next few days, but the broadband companies pointed to a 10-day window from when the FCC released its rules, on March 12.
The filings on Monday were light on details, but "the focus of our legal appeal will be on the FCC's decision to reclassify broadband internet access service as a public utility service after a decade of amazing innovation and investment under the FCC's previous light-touch approach," explains Jon Banks, a US Telecom senior vice president. Which, honestly, sounds more like lobbying than a legal appeal.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off