FCC's Net-Neutrality Rules Upheld by Appeals Court

The Federal Communications Commission has won a major victory in its decade-long battle to keep the internet open.The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Federal Communications Commission's "net-neutrality" rules which the agency imposed in February 2015. This means that the agency will be able to regulate internet providers like any other public utility company.

"Today's ruling is a victory for consumers and innovators who deserve unfettered access to the entire Web, and it ensures the Internet remains a platform for unparalleled innovation, free expression and economic growth," Wheeler said.

"After a decade of debate and legal battles, today's ruling affirms the commission's ability to enforce the strongest possible Internet protections – both on fixed and mobile networks – that will ensure the Internet remains open, now and in the future," he added.

The FCC's rules have been supported by Google, Netflix and President Barack Obama, while Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, among others, have spoken against them.

"The open internet rules are here to stay," Pantelis Michalopoulos, an attorney who represented Netflix and Dish Network Corp. in the case, said in an e-mail. "There is no doubt who is the winner: the open internet. The gatekeepers may not block or throttle our information. They may not ask information to pay tolls."

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