CINCINNATI—The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to rehear a net neutrality case originally brought by major telecoms and ISPs looking to block the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) attempt at reinstating these rules at the end of the Biden Administration, according to a ruling filed Tuesday.
AVN previously reported that a coalition of open internet and digital rights organizations filed an en banc petition asking the Sixth Circuit for a ruling by the entire bench of the court to reinstate the FCC's net neutrality rules adopted in 2024.
En banc is a term that refers to a legal procedure where all judges of the court, as opposed to a select panel of judges, offer an opinion on a particular case.
“The petition was circulated to the full court. No judge has requested a vote on the suggestion for rehearing en banc," explained a panel of judges.
"Therefore, the petition is denied," said the judges via coverage of the ruling by trade publication Broadband Breakfast.
Right-wing technology attorney and Project 2025 architect Brendan Carr, the new chair of the FCC, led the fight against the Biden-era commission, which was working to reinstate the Obama administration’s marquee digital policy. During Trump’s first tenure, former FCC chair Ajit Pai killed the net neutrality and common carry rules.
Carr was general counsel for the FCC and served as an aide for Pai while he was in office.
