By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Communications Commission on Friday asked the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio to transfer a series of industry legal challenges to its decision to reinstate historic net neutrality rules to a federal court in Washington.
Net neutrality rules require Internet service providers (ISPs) to treat Internet data and users equally, rather than limiting access, slowing speeds, or blocking content for certain users. The rules also prohibit special arrangements where ISPs give improved network speeds or access to favored users.
The 6th Circuit was randomly selected after legal challenges were filed in seven circuit courts. The FCC has requested that the case be transferred to the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
“It would be most efficient, and in the interests of justice,” the commission said, adding that the D.C. Circuit “has repeatedly discussed with the FCC in a series of court rulings the legal contours” of the D.C. open internet rules the FCC.
The FCC voted along party lines in April to resume regulatory oversight of broadband internet and restore open internet rules adopted in 2015 and repealed under then-President Donald Trump.
The rules will prevent internet service providers from blocking or slowing traffic to certain websites, or from engaging in paid prioritization of legal content, and give the FCC new tools to crack down on Chinese telecom companies and the ability to monitor internet service outages .
In addition, the FCC on Friday denied a request from industry groups representing AT&T (NYSE:), Comcast (NASDAQ:), Verizon (NYSE:) and others to halt the order’s July 22 take effect. interfering with the commission’s ability to pursue other policy obligations and objectives that will benefit consumers, particularly those related to national security and public safety.”
The FCC also said the industry groups had not shown that they would suffer irreparable harm if the net neutrality order were to go into effect, and said they had not offered “any concrete evidence.”
Restoring net neutrality has been a priority for President Joe Biden, who signed an executive order in July 2021 encouraging the FCC to reinstate rules adopted in 2015 under President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat.
Under Trump, the FCC had argued that net neutrality rules were unnecessary, blocked innovation and resulted in a decline in network investment by internet providers, a claim disputed by Democrats.
