Technology Business Groups to Federal Appeals Court: Protect Internet Innovation and 21st Century Commerce

Aug 7, 2015

Washington – Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), today filed an Amicus Curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in United States Telecom Association, et al., v. Federal Communications Commission.

“We are asking the court to uphold the principles of openness and freedom to innovate that have made the Internet a driving force in global commerce,” said Business Roundtable President John Engler. “Open broadband Internet access is a critical platform for business expansion, job creation and U.S. economic competitiveness. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Internet regulations will slow down investment and innovation – and we are petitioning the court for relief.”

“The FCC’s net neutrality rules are a costly solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “Over the first two decades, broadband Internet has created staggering improvements in freedom, innovation and job creation. We hope the court agrees that outdated regulations should not shackle a vibrant American industry.” 

“Manufacturers will not sit idle while the FCC stops innovation cold with Depression-era regulations,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The FCC’s arbitrary and antiquated rules will curtail future investment in our nation’s digital infrastructure and harm U.S. manufacturers’ ability to out-innovate and outperform our competitors. The Internet is not broken—that is why we’re actively supporting litigation to stop this unnecessary federal intervention into the open Internet.”

According to some experts, the FCC’s Internet regulation could result in an estimated $45 billion drop in capital investments by Internet service providers over five years, a 21 percent decline. The rule opens the door to further regulation that could result in an estimated $13 billion in new annual consumer fees.

View the joint Amicus Curiae brief here.

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