AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is confident that the telco will defeat the FCC in court and dismantle the country's first ever meaningful net neutrality rules. Speaking to CNBC, Stephenson almost-happily explained how the FCC is being forced to respond to an industry legal stay of the FCC's rules, which don't technically take effect until June 12. AT&T has sued the FCC on two fronts for good measure; once as part of the USTelecom trade association, and once independently.
"Based on our reading of the Title II order that came out, we're operating and we're investing under the scenario that these rules will probably be changed," he said.
"We don’t think this rulemaking is sustainable from a legal standpoint, but the courts will decide that. But irrespective, the Congress seems inclined to make a change here so we really think these rules will be modified to a format that will be conducive to investment in the long haul."
Most large ISPs have claimed that if the nation wants net neutrality rules, it should be Congress that crafts them. That's a bit disingenuous, since ISPs know that Congress is so fractured by partisan bickering and awash in telecom campaign contributions that meaningful Congressional neutrality rules are all but impossible.
In other words, Stephenson wants Congress to handle net neutrality because he knows nothing will come of it.
Still, the CEO is correct in noting that a 2016 White House administration shift (and a partisan shift at the FCC) is all that's necessary to dismantle the rules. As such, it's pretty clear that most of AT&T's 2016 campaign spending will be focused on one thing: getting consumer-friendly FCC boss Tom Wheeler out of office.