Telecom trade groups, ISPs ask for delay of US net neutrality rules

Seven organizations file partial stay requests with the Federal Communications Commission

Five telecom trade groups and two broadband providers have asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to put a hold on net neutrality rules it recently approved.

Seeking a partial stay of the FCC's rules are trade groups USTelecom, CTIA, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the American Cable Association and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association as well as ISPs AT&T and CenturyLink. The groups asked the FCC Friday to put a hold on its decision to reclassify broadband as a regulated, common-carrier service, but the requests do not affect the commission's rules that prohibit blocking, throttling and paid prioritization.

Most of those groups are among those who have filed seven lawsuits challenging the rules.

Earlier this week, Daniel Berninger, founder of nonprofit IP voice startup the Voice Communication Exchange Committee, also asked the FCC for a stay.

The new stay request targets the provisions of the net neutrality order "that would directly impact consumers, specifically, imposition of common carrier obligations that will increase costs and chill development of new and innovative services," USTelecom President Walter McCormick said in a statement. "We are not seeking to stay the bright-line rules prohibiting blocking, throttling or paid prioritization, but as we have previously said, the commission's reclassification of Internet access was the wrong approach to implementing these standards."

An FCC spokeswoman declined to comment on the stay requests.

Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. Grant's email address is grant_gross@idg.com.

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Tags regulationinternetlegaltelecommunicationat&tctiaInternet service providersU.S. Federal Communications CommissionCivil lawsuitsNational Cable and Telecommunications AssociationUSTelecomCenturyLinkAmerican Cable AssociationWireless Internet Service Providers AssociationVoice Communication Exchange CommitteeDaniel BerningerWalter McCormick

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