Public Knowledge wants to help defend Internet rules in court

The advocacy group Public Knowledge is asking to help defend new net neutrality rules against the spate of lawsuits seeking to tear them down. 

While a half dozen critics of the new regulations are already challenging the rules, Public Knowledge filed a motion in the U.S. appeals court in D.C. on Wednesday to help the Federal Communications Commission. 

{mosads}The group lobbied hard for rules approved in February that would reclassify Internet access under authority governing traditional telephones. The rules are meant to give the FCC broader power to enforce rules requiring service providers to treat all Internet traffic equally. 

Public Knowledge said the commission “lawfully reclassified broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service, and adopted a framework for rules to protect innovation, investment, competition, and free expression by protecting an open Internet.”

The group said it represents people who would be harmed if the rules were struck down and relies on the open Internet to conduct business. Court rules require a partying wishing to intervene in a case to have an interest in the outcome. 

Service providers like AT&T and other telecom trade groups rushed to file lawsuits last week, shortly after the regulations were published in the Federal Register. Aside from AT&T, others filing lawsuits include the U.S. Telecom Association, Alamo Broadband, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, The Wireless Association, the American Cable Association, and CenturyLink.

Observers have said the court battle could drag out for years, possibly into the next president’s term. Verizon led the charge against the FCC’s last net neutrality rules, which were struck down early last year. 

But Public Knowledge argued the FCC “followed the opinion of the court” after that case to make the rules withstand attack this time around.