Net Neutrality upheld by appeals court

An appeals court in Washington DC has upheld the FCC's Open Internet Order, affirming that Net Neutrality can live to fight another day. While the appellate judges have had to rule in favor of telecoms companies in previous cases, the FCC's law is now watertight and is acting within its powers. The decision is likely to stick in the craw of many networks, including AT&T and Verizon, which fought bitterly against provisions to maintain a free and fair market online. Unfortunately, Net Neutrality still has plenty of critics in high places, and several Republican politicians have attempted to gut the FCC in the hope of getting their own way.

In a statement, Tom Wheeler said that "today's ruling is a victory for consumers and innovators who deserve unfettered access to the entire web." He added that "the internet remains a platform for unparalleled innovation, free expression and economic growth."

There are still, however, loopholes that companies can (and do) exploit in order to get around such provisions, like Zero Rating. T-Mobile's BingeOn and Verizon's Go90 both get around mobile bandwidth caps, giving preferential treatment to some content at the expense of others.