Quantcast
Channel: ISP 1 Internet Access » Utility
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

AT&T Threatens To Sue FCC

0
0
AT&T Threatens To Sue FCC

AT&T Threatens To Sue FCC

The Federal Communications Commission’s recently hinted that it will reclassify broadband as a public utility, and some carriers are in a panic. Evidence of this is that AT&Ts recently announced that it will face the commission in court over this issue, and it promises to win. The company has warned the FCC that if it adopts the regulations it recently proposed for high-speed Internet, it will certainly face and lose many legal battles.

The FCC, led by Chairman Tom Wheeler recently made an announcement concerning changes in regulations concerning high-speed internet. It is planning to rebuff the wish of some Internet service providers that want to offer selective treatment to websites and content providers. For example, some of them want to have the power to charge extra for offering carriers fast lanes for Internet services to homes.

However, the FCC is against Internet fast lanes and it wants heavier regulations set out for the ISPs on the issue. Wheeler proposes to reclassify broadband as a utility. This decision to reclassify broadband will benefit the public and also allow the FCC to have more control over the network access arrangements that ISPs and content providers make.

However, some ISPs such as AT&T are not happy about the FCC’s proposal and evidence of this is that AT&T has come out guns blazing to fight against the proposed rules by the FCC. To show its unhappiness concerning the reclassification of broadband as a utility the company sent not just one, but two letters to the commission to state their displeasure through its company lawyer. In the letters, the company has sent a veiled threat to the FCC stating that it will sue to stop the commission from achieving its target concerning the reclassification of broadband as a utility.

AT&T states in its letters that the Commission cannot enforce the proposed rules because it already classified ISPs as information providers in 2002. Secondly, it argues that the Commission has not conducted a study to prove that certain ISPs are carrying out monopolistic behavior with their resources. This means the Commission can’t justify reclassifying internet services as a public utility to prevent “monopolistic activity” by carriers.

The FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has in the past come out saying that he is expecting a battle with ISPs as concerns streamlining ISP services. He even went ahead to state that he expects any rules they draft reviewed by the court meaning they are ready for the battle.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images