FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was pleased with a federal court of appeals decision yesterday declining to rehear the decision that upholds the Commission’s Title II reclassification of internet access service. ISPs and others had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reverse an earlier decision that said the FCC successfully defended its decision under former Chairman Tom Wheeler, reported Multichannel News.
The court cited the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking the agency approved last week in denying the review. Pai said yesterday’s decision was “not surprising,” given that the Commission has begun the process of repealing the reclassification of broadband internet access service from common carrier back to an information service.
The latest decision, notes, Pai, “makes clear that the FCC has the authority” for the re-classification; further, the judges explained why the Commission’s Title II Order was unlawful,” according to the Chairman.
USTelecom praised the court decision. “Broadband innovators strongly support net neutrality and will continue efforts to promote policies that encourage investment and innovation in America’s broadband networks, consistent with the deregulatory structure of the 1996 Telecom Act,” said CEO Jonathan Spalter. “At the end of the day, we agree with Judge Brown that when it comes to establishing a vision for the internet, any ‘orthodox view of checks and balances leaves the choice of vision to Congress.’”
Think tank TechFreedom, which opposes the Net Neutrality rules, said it intends to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Pai is expected to brief members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on Wednesday about his plans.
May 2, 2017
Reader Interactions