03:36 PM EST, 01/02/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with attribution to the court filing in the first and third paragraphs.)

A US appeals court has blocked net neutrality rules, stating that the Federal Communications Commission is not legally authorized to reinstate them, according to a court filing 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."

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, according to the court filing.

"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."

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