Engadget: Tennessee joins growing list of butthurt groups suing the FCC

Municipal broadband haters gonna hate. Article by Steve Dent for Engadget By re-classifying broadband internet as a utility, the FCC has effectively declared that it's a right, nay a necessity, for every American. That's why it also dismantled laws in states like Tennessee that restrict municipalities from supplying broadband and competing against private companies like AT&T and Comcast -- often with much better services. But on the same day that the broadband industry sued the FCC to stop net neutrality rules, the state of Tennessee also sued the regulator to overturn its city-friendly decision. It claims that the FCC "has unlawfully inserted itself between the State of Tennessee and the State's own political subdivisions," calling it "arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion."

Municipal broadband haters gonna hate.

Article by Steve Dent for Engadget

By re-classifying broadband internet as a utility, the FCC has effectively declared that it's a right, nay a necessity, for every American. That's why it also dismantled laws in states like Tennessee that restrict municipalities from supplying broadband and competing against private companies like AT&T and Comcast -- often with much better services. But on the same day that the broadband industry sued the FCC to stop net neutrality rules, the state of Tennessee also sued the regulator to overturn its city-friendly decision. It claims that the FCC "has unlawfully inserted itself between the State of Tennessee and the State's own political subdivisions," calling it "arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion."

Residents in rural areas near cities who want faster internet might find that charge ironic, however. Legislators in Tennessee, North Carolina and 30-odd other states have tried to curb municipal internet expansion at the behest of private internet providers -- even if that means rural constituents have poor or non-existent service. In fact, the broadband industry actually drafted much of the state legislation used to curb city internet services.

Meanwhile, the FCC is convinced that any attempts to undermine its municipality ruling will fail. It told Ars Technica "we are confident that our decision to pre-empt laws in two states that prevented community broadband providers from meeting the needs and demands of local consumers will withstand judicial scrutiny." If the agency prevails, the precedent could allow other municipalities facing state bans to proceed with broadband expansion.

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