The U.S. District Court of Appeals told the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it does not have the authority to regulate Internet business practices, which sets a precedent for all related policy, including net neutrality.
    This is a big win for telcos and a big loss for network operators and Internet applications and, once again, demonstrates the telcos’ lobbying power — something satellite broadband players struggled with while trying to influence the makeup of the National Broadband Plan.
    The fight over net neutrality has been very contentious — even within the FCC itself — and is far from over. But while the FCC takes a new look at how it can regulate Internet access, with plenty of outside support and outside opposition to any move the FCC takes, satellite broadband providers have an opportunity to capitalize and make their services more widely known. One of the interesting aspects of this battle is that there are large areas where Comcast is considered a broadband monopoly because consumers believe their only option is a terrestrial service.
    Part of this can be traced to the Broadband Plan itself, as policymakers continue to focus on broadband as the highest speed possible rather than looking at the speeds satellite broadband provides as a marked improvement over no access, dialup and DSL services.
While the high-profile players continue their Internet fights, it’s time for the satellite sector to do its part to show everyone concerned that the telcos do not have broadband monopolies and the public has a viable broadband choice from above.