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The Federal Communications Commission’s Net neutrality rules will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow and go into effect–barring legal challenges–November 20, according to a report.
The commission made its announcement about the dates today, PCMag.com reported. On September 12, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget signed off on the rules, which meant the next step was publication in the Register.
The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations. Among other things, it gives citizens access to new regulations so they can examine their effect in advance, and it includes processes that let the public participate in rule making. Documents published in the Register acquire “evidentiary status,” making them admissible in court.
The Net neutrality rules were originally passed by the FCC in late December, and shortly thereafter Verizon Communications sued the agency in federal court, saying the FCC had overstepped its authority. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed the case, calling it premature, since the rules had not yet been added to the Register.
With that publication apparently upon us, Verizon and other companies could initiate additional legal challenges.
The FCC rules–the outcome of years of debate–lay out specific Net neutrality principles and essentially let Internet service providers ration access to their networks while preventing them from discriminating against content that comes from competitors. The rules are more strict for wired broadband providers than for wireless carriers. (See CNET’s Net Neutrality FAQ here.)
