The Fight for Net Neutrality Begins… Again

After releasing the new Net Neutrality Rules yesterday, the FCC has come under immediate legal action by lobbyists supporting cable and wireless providers.

The FCC released their new Net Neutrality rules to the Federal Register yesterday and one day later the legal battle has begun.  The CTIA, a lobbyist organization for the wireless industry has filed a lawsuit challenging the the FCC Open Internet Order that classifies broadband as a public utility.  The NCTA, the lobbyist organization that supports the cable industry filed its own suit as well along with the smaller American Cable Association.

The FCC is trying to prevent broadband Internet providers from providing favorable access to big companies with the big pockets to pay for a competitive advantage over small disruptive startups.  By classifying the Internet access as a public utility the FCC is granted the ability to enforce a level playing field.

Each lawsuit attempts to characterize the FCC Open Internet Order as governmental over reach that will stifle innovation and reduce investment in improvements to broadband and wireless infrastructure.

With today’s filing, CTIA seeks to protect the competitive mobile marketplace that thrived under a deregulatory framework for decades. The FCC’s new Internet rules are full service regulations that will harm mobile consumers and providers across the country, as well as our nation’s wireless future.  — CTIA Blog

An Open Internet is key for innovation and startups.  It will become nearly impossible for startups to compete with incumbent online service providers if they are able to pay for favorable service or create partnership deals with exclusivity of access built in.  Imagine a world where Time Warner customers get slower access to Google+ because Facebook has paid for “fast-lane” access.  For more information on the FCC Open Internet order, go to http://www.fcc.gov/openinternet.  You can also watch the video above for a history of Net Neutrality from The Verge.