Appeals Court upholds Net Neutrality Rules

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the Federal Communication Commission's "net neutrality" rules in a big final-year win for the Obama administration.

In the 2-1 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the court denied petitions from a number of internet service providers and trade groups to strike down the strongest internet service regulations ever written.

The regulations classify internet service providers as common carriers, which critics equate with utility regulations. The rules give the FCC increased authority to require internet service providers to treat all web traffic equally.

The decision is a major win for the FCC and the millions of open internet advocates who pressured the agency to adopt the strong rules that regulate the conduct of companies that provide internet service.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for consumers and innovators who deserve unfettered access to the entire web, and it ensures the internet remains a platform for unparalleled innovation, free expression and economic growth,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement.

Since the rules were passed last year, Republicans and telecom companies have launched a number of challenges to the rules.

But in the end, the court concluded that the FCC had the authority to change the classification of internet service providers because the underlying law gives the agency room to decide and that a previous court case provided a roadmap to make the change.

“This, in our view, represents a perfectly 'good reason' for the Commission’s change in position,” wrote judges David Tatel and Sri Srinivasan.

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