FCC declines AT&T petition to delay Open Internet Order

FCC has declined the petition filed by the AT&T (NASDAQ: T) to delay the change in the net neutrality laws in the country, which in turn is about the re-initiate the legal battle in the between the ISPs and telecommunication companies and Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

AT&T, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), CTIA, USTelecom, the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), the American Cable Association (ACA), and CenturyLink raised objection to the Open Internet Order that was published on 13th April, however, was FCC rejected the petition last week saying that the requests are contrary to public interest.

The new legislation classifies the carriers in the country as the ‘Common Carriers’ under the Title II regulations. As per the legislation, the Internet Service Providers in the country will be treated as a public entity, and labelling them as a Public Utilities will enable the government to put a control over them, and their freedom to do whatever they want.

Being an ISP, these service providers will have to have their new projects and proposal first approved by the government before they provide any content to their users. Carriers say that the reclassification can curb the growth and investment in the future.

However, the carriers are in agreement with those net neutrality acts that protects the users from some of the parameters such as paid prioritization, blocking and throttled bandwidth.

FCC says that the Open Internet Order is to protect the consumers and investors from any harm due to the lack of openness in the system.

“Using [the] petitioners’ logic, the mere act of being made subject to such general conduct standards would have irreparably harmed their business’ investment, innovation, and customers.

It did not,” the FCC said, “The [Open Internet] Order is both essential to protect consumers and innovators from harms arising from a lack of openness and best serves the public interest.”