In the category of absolutely no surprise, the FCC has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to deny petitions by cable and telco ISPs to stay implementation of the FCC's reclassification of Internet access as a common carrier service until the court has heard their underlying challenge.
The FCC suggests the stay would "jeopardize the free flow of commerce and speech over the Internet." As with the Title II order, the request to deny the stay is based on the assertion that without the rules, ISPs are a threat to "interfere" and "circumvent" and "impair" an open Internet.
“We remain confident the court will deny the request for a stay," said FCC press secretary Kim Hart. "Petitioners have not demonstrated that they are likely to prevail, and granting the stay motion would strip the FCC of the ability to protect consumers and innovators from harmful conduct by broadband providers.”
While ISPs have not asked the court to stay the bright-line rules, only the reclassification, application to interconnection and new general Internet conduct standard, the FCC says the court has already said the rules can't be applied "until and unless broadband was reclassified as a 'telecommunications service.'"
So, says the FCC, the stay motion is "not what it seems." The commission also says preserving the interconnection and general conduct standard are "critical to ensuring that the bright-line rules could not be circumvented."
The commission says a stay would hurt consumers, "leaving unprotected their ability to access Internet content, applications and services of their choosing without broadband provider interference. The resulting threat to Internet openness would seriously impair the ability of Americans to use the Internet “to conduct commerce, communicate, educate, entertain and engage in the world around them.”
One thing the FCC did agree on is the ISPs' request for expedited hearing of the underlying case if a stay is not granted.
"Although petitioners have not met the standard for a stay, we believe that the public would be served by the Court’s expedited consideration of this case," the FCC said.
