Publication of New Internet Rules to Prompt Cheers and Challenges

For those who have spent more than a decade fighting for stricter regulation of the Internet, the official publication of the rules in the Federal Register, expected as early as April 6, will give reality to their latest victory. For those opposed, it is likely to touch off a flurry of lawsuits. The rules, approved in February by the Federal Communications Commission after months of heated debate, will forbid Internet service providers to speed up, slow down or block a consumer’s access to any particular content. Barring any court intervention -- some experts think that is unlikely, given the challenge of proving immediate harm -- the rules will go into effect 60 days after publication.

The first 10 days after the rules are published in the Federal Register will be particularly significant, said Harold Feld, senior vice president of Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group that focuses on Internet policy. All legal complaints filed in that time will be considered together, and a lottery will determine which federal court will hear that unified case. Some opponents of the rules are expected to file lawsuits in conservative jurisdictions, in hopes that a court more likely to rule against the FCC will be assigned the case.