With lawsuits coming and protests occurring outside the FCC meeting where net neutrality rules were changed, advocates for keeping the status quo said they will press on. And those for and against the regulatory rollback reacted in droves, with dozens of statements issued shortly after the 3-2 party-line vote. Free Press Senior Counsel Jessica Gonzalez said her group will sue the FCC. President Craig Aaron told us he anticipated lawsuits by a variety of other groups. And the FCC's chief technology officer had raised concerns, which he said have been addressed.

With lawsuits coming and protests occurring outside the FCC meeting where net neutrality rules were changed, advocates for keeping the status quo said they will press on. And those for and against the regulatory rollback reacted in droves, with dozens of statements issued shortly after the 3-2 party-line vote. Free Press Senior Counsel Jessica Gonzalez said her group will sue the FCC. President Craig Aaron told us he anticipated lawsuits by a variety of other groups. And the FCC's chief technology officer had raised concerns, which he said have been addressed.

The FCC issued a public notice reminder Tuesday of rules for attending commissioners’ meetings and options for viewing them in response to “significant public interest” in its net neutrality proceeding. The PN includes reminders attendees will be checked in by security and aren’t allowed to stand or address the commission. If the Commission Meeting Room is filled, audience members will be seated in “overflow rooms” with video feeds of the meeting, the PN said. Signs 11 by 17 inches or smaller will be permitted in the meeting room as long as they are held in front of the body to avoid obstructing views, the PN said: Audience members engaging in disruptive behavior “will be asked to leave the building, and anyone who refuses to leave voluntarily will be escorted from the building.” The Washington Metropolitan Police will have officers monitor protests outside Thursday’s commissioners meeting but won't assume “an elevated posture,” an MPD spokeswoman said. The monitoring of planned demonstrations is “routine practice” for all such gatherings that MPD becomes aware of, she said. Free Our Internet, a group supporting the draft item to roll back net neutrality regulations, asked MPD to increase security at the meeting and warned of possible violent protests (see 1712110050). A net neutrality protest outside the FCBA Chairman’s Dinner last week didn't result in any incidents (see 1712080016). In other net neutrality news, Incompas and NTCA criticized the net neutrality draft for effects on interconnection rules (see 1712120015), legislators raised the prospect of congressional action (see 1712120037) and Democratic representatives raised cybersecurity concerns on earlier FCC IT problems (see 1712120052). Other net neutrality news: on dueling partisan congressional moves (see 1712120037), on how the draft net neutrality order may affect interconnection (see 1712120015), and on congressional Democrats' concerns about FCC commenting system cybersecurity (see 1712120052).

The FCC issued a public notice reminder Tuesday of rules for attending commissioners’ meetings and options for viewing them in response to “significant public interest” in its net neutrality proceeding. The PN includes reminders attendees will be checked in by security and aren’t allowed to stand or address the commission. If the Commission Meeting Room is filled, audience members will be seated in “overflow rooms” with video feeds of the meeting, the PN said. Signs 11 by 17 inches or smaller will be permitted in the meeting room as long as they are held in front of the body to avoid obstructing views, the PN said: Audience members engaging in disruptive behavior “will be asked to leave the building, and anyone who refuses to leave voluntarily will be escorted from the building.” The Washington Metropolitan Police will have officers monitor protests outside Thursday’s commissioners meeting but won't assume “an elevated posture,” an MPD spokeswoman said. The monitoring of planned demonstrations is “routine practice” for all such gatherings that MPD becomes aware of, she said. Free Our Internet, a group supporting the draft item to roll back net neutrality regulations, asked MPD to increase security at the meeting and warned of possible violent protests (see 1712110050). A net neutrality protest outside the FCBA Chairman’s Dinner last week didn't result in any incidents (see 1712080016). In other net neutrality news, Incompas and NTCA criticized the net neutrality draft for effects on interconnection rules (see 1712120015), legislators raised the prospect of congressional action (see 1712120037) and Democratic representatives raised cybersecurity concerns on earlier FCC IT problems (see 1712120052). Other net neutrality news: on dueling partisan congressional moves (see 1712120037), on how the draft net neutrality order may affect interconnection (see 1712120015), and on congressional Democrats' concerns about FCC commenting system cybersecurity (see 1712120052).

FCC-proposed deregulation of internet interconnection is drawing pushback from parties that believe it could invite renewed problems in a key market. Incompas and others voiced concerns about the "internet freedom" plan in recent filings urging the commission to retain interconnection authority, and in comments to us. The Republican majority isn't expected to change course before Thursday's vote. Chairman Ajit Pai's draft order would stop treating "Internet traffic exchange" (interconnection) as a Communications Act Title II telecom service, restoring "the longstanding free market framework" under which the internet "flourished for decades."

FCC-proposed deregulation of internet interconnection is drawing pushback from parties that believe it could invite renewed problems in a key market. Incompas and others voiced concerns about the "internet freedom" plan in recent filings urging the commission to retain interconnection authority, and in comments to us. The Republican majority isn't expected to change course before Thursday's vote. Chairman Ajit Pai's draft order would stop treating "Internet traffic exchange" (interconnection) as a Communications Act Title II telecom service, restoring "the longstanding free market framework" under which the internet "flourished for decades."

With the FCC poised to declare "internet freedom," there is much disagreement about whether deregulated broadband providers will have the incentive and ability to engage in paid prioritization of traffic that favors some content and applications, potentially harming rivals and consumers. Cable and telco ISPs said they generally don't want to discriminate among data streams, even if they can, and an order to remove "utility-style" net neutrality regulation, which commissioners plan to vote on Thursday, will promote broadband investment and innovation. They said adequate safeguards remain, including at the FTC and DOJ, to curb harms to consumers or competition, but net neutrality advocates disagree. (In related news Monday, see 1712110050 on congressional rollback efforts and 1712110049 on an draft FTC-FCC ISP monitoring plan.)

With the FCC poised to declare "internet freedom," there is much disagreement about whether deregulated broadband providers will have the incentive and ability to engage in paid prioritization of traffic that favors some content and applications, potentially harming rivals and consumers. Cable and telco ISPs said they generally don't want to discriminate among data streams, even if they can, and an order to remove "utility-style" net neutrality regulation, which commissioners plan to vote on Thursday, will promote broadband investment and innovation. They said adequate safeguards remain, including at the FTC and DOJ, to curb harms to consumers or competition, but net neutrality advocates disagree. (In related news Monday, see 1712110050 on congressional rollback efforts and 1712110049 on an draft FTC-FCC ISP monitoring plan.)

Telco rivals disagreed on what the FCC should do about a business data service order that ruled certain ILEC tariff practices unlawful. Reacting to a remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, AT&T and Verizon said the commission should reverse the 2016 tariff order after earlier this year finding the BDS market is highly competitive. The tariff order "is irreconcilable with both (1) the D.C. Circuit’s decision in BellSouth Telecomms. Inc. v. FCC ... (D.C. Cir. 2006), and (2) the economic realities of an expanding and intensely competitive market for [BDS], in which the legacy DS1 services at issue will soon be obsolete," said AT&T in a comment posted Tuesday in docket 15-247 on a public notice (see 1711030050). Tariff discount plans "did not weaken or harm competitive markets" and should be found lawful, said Verizon, noting its revised offerings were allowed to take effect after the tariff order. Windstream, Incompas and Sprint said the FCC should affirm findings of the order and expand remedies to "help facilitate the transition to IP-based networks and promote competition. Reversing the Order ... would sabotage a critical prediction underpinning the Commission’s entire policy framework for [BDS], and would enable the [ILECs] that currently dominate the market for low-bandwidth BDS to unlawfully maintain their monopoly."

Telco rivals disagreed on what the FCC should do about a business data service order that ruled certain ILEC tariff practices unlawful. Reacting to a remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, AT&T and Verizon said the commission should reverse the 2016 tariff order after earlier this year finding the BDS market is highly competitive. The tariff order "is irreconcilable with both (1) the D.C. Circuit’s decision in BellSouth Telecomms. Inc. v. FCC ... (D.C. Cir. 2006), and (2) the economic realities of an expanding and intensely competitive market for [BDS], in which the legacy DS1 services at issue will soon be obsolete," said AT&T in a comment posted Tuesday in docket 15-247 on a public notice (see 1711030050). Tariff discount plans "did not weaken or harm competitive markets" and should be found lawful, said Verizon, noting its revised offerings were allowed to take effect after the tariff order. Windstream, Incompas and Sprint said the FCC should affirm findings of the order and expand remedies to "help facilitate the transition to IP-based networks and promote competition. Reversing the Order ... would sabotage a critical prediction underpinning the Commission’s entire policy framework for [BDS], and would enable the [ILECs] that currently dominate the market for low-bandwidth BDS to unlawfully maintain their monopoly."