Washington – Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has filed a legal challenge to new Net
Neutrality rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
earlier this month, which have not yet taken effect. Filed Thursday with the
U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C., the challenge asks the court to overturn the FCC
rules, which prohibit preferential treatment of content by cable and DSL
Internet providers, and compel them to give consumers choice in devices and
applications.
"Verizon’s decision demonstrates that even the most weak and
watered-down rules aren’t enough to appease giant phone companies," said
Aparna Sridhar, policy counsel for Free Press.
"It’s ironic that Verizon
is unhappy with rules that were written to placate it, and it’s now clear that
it will settle for nothing less than total deregulation and a toothless FCC in
the relentless pursuit of profit."
The Wall Street Journal notes that
public interest groups who believe the FCC’s rules don’t go far enough are also
expected to contest them.
Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4kvhe6k
(WSJ)
