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AT&T Wants To Settle With FTC To Avoid Unlimited Data Throttling Lawsuit (arstechnica.com)
AT&T has given up its years-long quest to cripple the Federal Trade Commission's authority to regulate broadband providers. "Just weeks ago, AT&T said it intended to appeal its loss in the case to the U.S. Supreme Court before a deadline of May 29," reports Ars Technica. "But today, AT&T informed (PDF) court officials that it has decided not to file a petition to the Supreme Court and did not ask for a deadline extension." From the report: AT&T had been trying to limit the FTC's authority since October 2014, when the FTC sued AT&T for promising unlimited data to wireless customers and then throttling their speeds by as much as 90 percent. With AT&T having ruled out a Supreme Court appeal, the FTC can finally pursue its case against AT&T and try to secure refunds for affected customers. AT&T's decision also means that traditional phone companies will have to face some net neutrality oversight from the FTC after the Federal Communications Commission finalizes its net neutrality repeal. AT&T said it will try to settle the case with the FTC instead of going to trial. AT&T's decision might indicate that it is already having settlement talks with the agency.
"We have decided not to seek review by the Supreme Court, to focus instead on negotiating a fair resolution of the case with the Federal Trade Commission," AT&T said in a statement to Ars. The FTC is barred from regulating common carriers, and AT&T has long been a common carrier for its mobile voice and landline phone services. AT&T previously argued that the FTC can't regulate any product offered by AT&T, whether it is or isn't a common carrier service. Though ultimately unsuccessful, AT&T's attempt to deny the FTC's authority to regulate any aspect of its business has delayed the throttling case for years.
"We have decided not to seek review by the Supreme Court, to focus instead on negotiating a fair resolution of the case with the Federal Trade Commission," AT&T said in a statement to Ars. The FTC is barred from regulating common carriers, and AT&T has long been a common carrier for its mobile voice and landline phone services. AT&T previously argued that the FTC can't regulate any product offered by AT&T, whether it is or isn't a common carrier service. Though ultimately unsuccessful, AT&T's attempt to deny the FTC's authority to regulate any aspect of its business has delayed the throttling case for years.
At&t didn't "pony up" enough k-street money to win this one I guess.
The FTC is barred from regulating common carriers
Congratulations. You've rolled back net neutrality and by acquiescing your fight with the FTC, have set a precedent for adhering to the letter of the law for throttling data. It might not help Americans who expect affordable, fast broadband service similar to what we see in the EU, but it at least prevents telecom companies from shoveling bullshit with impunity.
there are other negatives to losing common carrier status that you arent factoring into the bottom line, but time is a great teacher. You're now open to direct lawsuits from angry moms who blame you for the sin of pornography, as well as media moguls who blame you for piracy.
Good people go to bed earlier.
They didn't learn their lesson back in the '80s, and now here they are pulling shit again.
The only way to deal with corporations is for the government to stand on their necks until they behave. In the absence of serious and unrelenting regulation, corporations will always, always try to fuck everyone. They'd throw a baby into a wood chipper for a 5-cent increase in stock price. Thomas Jefferson knew this. James Madison knew this.
We'll have to wait until some semblance of sanity has been restored to Congress, but AT&T should really be broken up again, and it should be the opening salvo in a number of corporate breakups.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Customers should expect to receive something in the area of .50 cents by the time it's all said and done.
That'll show AT&T.
AT&T should pay out the nose for bait and switch.
We in czech republic have to pay 40 us bux to have 10 gb of data and unlimited calls+smz. Thats bullsh!t
Keep in mind we're playing in the globalist big leagues now and if your company doesn't span a nation, if not multiple nations, it isn't even a piece on the table at this point.
Unless America starts requiring reciprocation clauses in regards to corporate ownership/financial investment by foreign nations (ie to deal with china's 51 percent pro-Chinese ownership requirements), America is only going to circle the drain faster with a bunch of large corporate breakups without equivalents being done to their international competitors.
The days of single nation corporations which can be easily influenced by a single government are long past.
This fight has been going on for years. All AT&T has been able to do is make it drag out.