Last week, Public Knowledge hosted its annual celebration honoring the dedication of those working to represent consumers in Internet protocol, intellectual property and information policy. This year we honored Shari Steele of the Electronic Frontier Foundation for information policy, Rebecca Tushnet of Georgetown Law for intellectual property, and Chip Pickering of COMPTEL for Internet protocol.

Thanks to recent antitrust enforcement and communications regulation, consumers continue to reap the benefits of exploding Internet entertainment, as well as educational and business opportunities. By facing down the proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner, and by establishing strong net neutrality rules, the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission have protected Internet users from discrimination and promoted broadband innovations that are critical to our democracy and essential to freedom of expression.

As reported by Brian Fung in the Washington Post and others, a company called Commercial Network Services (CNS) has filed the first network neutrality complaint under the FCC’s new rules — which went into effect June 12 after the D.C. Circuit denied a stay request. You can read the complaint here. While I probably should not prejudge things, I expect the FCC to deny the complaint for the excellent reason that — accepting all the facts alleged as true — Time Warner Cable did absolutely nothing wrong.

Good news! Late last week, the D.C. Circuit denied the request by the carriers suing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prevent the FCC’s net neutrality rules and reclassification of broadband as a Title II telecom service. As of last Friday, the Net Neutrality rules are in effect, and broadband access is once again a Title II telecommunications service — pending the final outcome of the lawsuit challenging the the FCC’s actions.

It’s been almost three months since the FCC issued its order reclassifying Internet Service Providers as Title II telecommunications carriers and establishing strong net neutrality rules. No one was surprised when the ISPs cried foul and sued to overturn the ruling.

You may know that Public Knowledge recently intervened in support of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the net neutrality litigation. As more legal filings now start to arrive in that lawsuit, one filing called a Statement of Issues to Be Raised, from the US Telecom Association (USTA), sheds some light on what at least some ISPs really think about net neutrality.

Now That the FCC’s (Excellent) Rules Are Officially On the Books, It’s Time to Defend Them Against The Onslaught

Yesterday, the U.S. Telecom Association (USTA), the trade association for incumbent telecoms like Verizon and AT&T, and a Texas Wireless Internet Service Provider called Alamo Broadband, filed separate appeals from the FCC’s Order reclassifying broadband as Title II and applying net neutrality rules. (This Ars piece links to both Petitions). USTA filed in the D.C. Circuit, while Alamo filed in the 5th Circuit – a court that is typically more hostile to the FCC.

Word is today the FCC will release its network neutrality order reclassifying broadband as Title II. I’ll update with a link when that happens.

Comcast is unique among large Internet Service Providers and cable companies in how it can undermine online video competition in ways that go far beyond net neutrality violations.