The First Lawsuits Challenging Net Neutrality Are Here

​We knew they were coming, and here they are: Two groups have filed lawsuits against the Federal Communications Commission chall​enging new net neutrality rules designed to prevent carriers from using "paid prioritization" to deliver content to consumers. Under the new rules, internet service providers will be banned from charging extra money to speed up certain types of content—instead, the internet will function as it usually has, in a data-agnostic way.

The lawsuits come as no surprise—the move to classify the internet as a Title II service (meaning it will be subject to utility-style regulations) has been hugely unpopular with telecom companies, who say the status will hurt competition.

Republicans in Congress have also taken up this cause, and have put FCC chairman Tom Wheeler through the ringer, scheduling six hear​ings to grill him on both the classification and the process by which the FCC arrived at its new rules, which haven't gone into effect yet.

And it may be a while before they actually do go into effect, which would have been 60 days after the rules were published on March 12. The lawsuits, filed by Texas-based Alamo Br​oadband in federal court in New Orleans, and the United S​tates Telecom Association, a trade group that represents the interests of many of the largest internet providers, are likely to slow down the ultimate implementation of the rules. A lawyer with the National Cable and Telecommunications Association recently sai​d it could be up to five more years before the rules are final, thanks to the lawsuits.

There's not too much to report about the lawsuits themselves yet—both are just notices that they've been filed: US Telecom's is a "protective petition for review," while Alamo's claims that the rules are "in excess of the [FCC's] authority" and "otherwise contrary to law."

Expect more lawsuits to be filed in the coming weeks: The N​CTA and CTIA-The Wir​eless Association are expected to to sue the FCC on behalf of the industry.