Federal court lets net neutrality regulations stand

A federal appeals court rejected a request to review its decision upholding the Federal Communications Commission's network neutrality regulations. The victory for net neutrality supporters comes just days after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that he is starting proceedings to repeal the rules, and could set the stage for a Supreme Court showdown.

In its denial for what's called an en banc review, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals cited FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's plans to repeal the net neutrality rules. "En banc review would be particularly unwarranted at this point in light of the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the FCC’s Order," the decision reads. "The agency will soon consider adopting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would replace the existing rule with a markedly different one." "In that light, the en banc court could find itself examining, and pronouncing on, the validity of a rule that the agency had already slated for replacement."