The issue focused on the Federal Communications Commission's decision to reclassify Internet service providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act — less a legal necessity than the result of the agency's desire to be freed of costly regulations of the cable TV industry. Instead of putting a stricter regulatory structure in place that could stifle innovation, as it would have under the proposal from Republican chairman Ajit Pai, the agency reclassified the ISPs as purely a regulated public utility and turned over their net neutrality rules to an enforcement