--- title: "Report: Telecom Groups Plan Net Neutrality Lawsuits" id: "27669" type: "post" slug: "report-telecom-groups-plan-net-neutrality-lawsuits" published_at: "2015-03-20T22:29:28+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:52:06+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/03/20/report-telecom-groups-plan-net-neutrality-lawsuits/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/03/20/report-telecom-groups-plan-net-neutrality-lawsuits.md" excerpt: "A number of trade groups in the wireless and telecom are reportedly working on a lawsuit against the FCC’s recent decision to regulate internet access as a utility. It’s a shift from a prior battle, which was led by Verizon." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "lawsuits" - "net neutrality" - "Regulations" - "Technology" - "trade associations" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Report: Telecom Groups Plan Net Neutrality Lawsuits The first time the Federal Communications Commission tried to create open-internet regulations, it faced a lawsuit from Verizon—[which it lost](http://associationsnow.com/2014/01/net-neutrality-ruling-draws-strong-response-from-industry-activist-groups/) . That sent the FCC back to the drawing board, and ultimately the agency issued even stricter internet rules. Now, those stricter rules, [announced last month](http://associationsnow.com/2015/02/net-neutrality-groups-respond-to-fcc-plans-with-praise-frustration/) , have led to talk of new lawsuits. But instead of Verizon or another company taking the lead in litigation, it’s likely to be an array of trade groups. [Reuters reported this week (opens in a new tab)](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/19/us-usa-internet-neutrality-idUSKBN0MF01V20150319) that several trade associations, including USTelecom, CTIA-The Wireless Association, and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, are expected to file suit, although all three declined to comment. The groups [were among the most high-profile critics of the new regulations](http://associationsnow.com/2015/02/fcc-open-internet-order-drums-association-passion/) . “We believe there will be a lot of litigation, which will probably be led by industry associations,” Verizon CFO Fran Shammo told the news service on Wednesday. Another group that had pledged a lawsuit, the American Cable Association, may join the effort, as may the National Association of Manufacturers, their representatives told Reuters. NAM says net neutrality regulations could hurt infrastructure investment. “Whenever there’s a pause in investment by any kind of company due to regulatory uncertainty, it’s going to have a trickle-down effect on the whole manufacturing community,” NAM Technology Policy President Brian Raymond [told Reuters in December (opens in a new tab)](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/10/us-usa-internet-neutrality-manufacturers-idUSKBN0JO1K320141210) . ### Was the Process Fair? The regulations—which restrict internet service providers’ ability to put some content in a delivery “fast lane” while other content is assigned lower priority—are controversial for a variety of reasons, including the process that produced them. Critics say [the rule-making process](http://associationsnow.com/2014/04/fccs-proposed-net-neutrality-changes-draw-opposition-clarification/) changed significantly after a public outcry [drew the interest of advocacy groups](http://associationsnow.com/2014/07/associations-speak-fcc-net-neutrality-plan/) —and, eventually, President Barack Obama. The FCC’s refusal to release the draft of the proposed rules before the commissioners’ final vote [also drew criticism](http://associationsnow.com/2015/03/thursday-buzz-details-behind-net-neutrality-decision/) . Questions about the process have led the FCC’s Office of the Inspector General [to open an investigation (opens in a new tab)](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/17/us-usa-internet-neutrality-idUSKBN0MD23O20150317) into whether the president had undue influence on the commission’s final decision—a charge FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler denies. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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