Following the wave of suits by telecom lobbying organizations that were expected following the ratification of the new Title II classification rules for wired and mobile broadband at the beginning of this month and last month, the FCC has officially rejected requests from those same groups to stay the pending reclassification of such providers under the stricter Title II rules, which would subject wired and mobile broadband providers to more oversight and regulation in the name of consumer protection.
Wireless Competition Bureau chief Julie Veach and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau chief Roger Sherman filed a new order on Friday formally rejecting the multiple requests to stay the reclassification, which is expected to go into effect in the middle of next month.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler expects the new rules and reclassification of internet access under Title II with specific changes for mobile and fixed-line broadband providers will be able to withstand any further legal challenges, owing to the increased powers of oversight granted by Title II classification, which are much more extensive than the lack of oversight powers that formed the basis of the much weaker Open Internet Orders filed in 2004 and 2010 that were eventually overturned as a result of Verizon winning a legal challenge against the FCC in 2012.
