Cable's lobbying interests have officially weighed in on the FCC's reclassification of Internet service providers under Title II, with both the NCTA and ACA filing suit against the regulatory group on Tuesday.
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has scheduled a 2:15 p.m. EST teleconference, featuring organization president and CEO Michael Powell, to discuss its petition for review. Powell has said the new FCC net neutrality rules could lead to rate regulation and stifle investment.
Meanwhile, American Cable Association president and CEO Matthew Polka released this statement: "Although the ACA and its small and medium-sized cable operator members supported the adoption of rules to protect the openness of the Internet, ACA is challenging the FCC's 'Open Internet Order' today because the FCC's specific means of achieving this common goal--reclassifying broadband Internet providers as common carriers--are legally unsupportable and a step backward.
"For decades, cable operators have been regulated under the 1984 Cable Communications Act (Title VI) in their provision of cable service and as Title I information service providers in their provision of broadband Internet service," Polka added. "In ACA's view, this approach created the proper balance of ensuring consumers have open access to the Internet while giving providers the proper incentives to bringing high-performance broadband services to nearly every corner of the country."
The Federal Communications Commission approved the rules on Feb. 26 and published them in the Federal Register on April 13. Opponents have 10 days after that filing to take legal action.
The wireless industry's CTIA also filed suit against the FCC on Tuesday.
For more:
- read this ACA statement
Related links:
FCC sends net neutrality rules to Federal Register, sets stage for telco, industry challenges
Wheeler says it again: FCC will not regulate pricing
Report: Verizon to let CTIA, NCTA lead legal fight over FCC's net neutrality rules