Broadband carriers speak out against FCC regulation

The nation's largest Internet service providers on Monday warned the Federal Communications Commission against any possible move that would put them more clearly under the agency's jurisdiction, saying that doing so could deter their investments in broadband networks.

The comments from AT&T and Verizon Communications come as the FCC awaits a pivotal decision from a federal appeals court that could undercut the agency's authority over those companies' Internet businesses. A ruling against the agency would likely derail FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's signature policy objectives, including open-Internet rules and the reform of an $8 billion rural telephone fund to provide broadband access in underserved parts of the country. Public Knowledge, a group that advocates digital rights, has urged the FCC to classify those Internet service providers alongside telephone services, which are firmly under the agency's purview. Some analysts say the agency would have to reclassify those services in order to remain relevant as the Web becomes a primary vehicle for communication and entertainment. In a 14-page letter to the agency, AT&T and Verizon were joined by trade groups CTIA and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. They argue that such a move would be "extremist," entailing too many onerous rules for the fast-moving broadband industry.