01:23 PM EST, 01/02/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with additional details in the second and third paragraphs, and Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's statement in the fourth paragraph.)

A US appeals court has blocked net neutrality rules, stating that the Federal Communications Commission is not legally authorized to reinstate them, Reuters and Bloomberg reported Thursday.

In April 2024, the FCC voted to restore net neutrality, reclassifying broadband service as a "telecommunications service" and restoring "fundamental authority to provide effective oversight over broadband service providers."

But the ruling of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit stated that under federal law, broadband must be classified as an "information service" and not a "telecommunications service," which is more heavily-regulated, Bloomberg reported.

"Consumers across the country have told us again and again that they want an internet that is fast, open, and fair," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. "With this decision, it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality, and put open internet principles in federal law."

Price: 22.95, Change: +0.18, Percent Change: +0.77