Wireless industry wants to take FCC's side in net neutrality suit

CTIA-the Wireless Association, a trade group that represents wireless carriers, filed a motion in federal court on Wednesday to intervene on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission in a lawsuit over net neutrality regulations.

Four public interest groups, including Free Press, have sued the FCC, arguing that the agency's net neutrality rules do not go far enough. They allege the agency arbitrarily applied laxer standards to wireless Internet companies than landline Internet companies.

 The net neutrality rules prevent Internet service providers from discriminating between two similar content providers by slowing down or speeding up access to their sites. Wireless carriers are banned from blocking lawful websites or applications that compete with their services.

The wireless carriers are fully supportive of the fact that they will face lighter regulations under the rules than other companies.

In the court filing, CTIA points to the FCC's finding that mobile Internet presents different considerations than landline Internet.

"The FCC accordingly imposed fewer regulatory burdens on mobile Internet access services than on their fixed-line counterparts," the association writes. "[The public interest groups] challenge the FCC’s determination that 'wireless is different' and its decision to regulate mobile services more lightly. CTIA wishes to defend the FCC against that challenge and any related arguments that the FCC erred in imposing too few regulatory burdens."

Verizon has also sued the FCC, arguing that they lack the authority to impose the regulations on either wireless or landline Internet providers.

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