Seven web companies led by browser company Mozilla called on acting Federal Communications (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel to reinstate US net neutrality rules, arguing it would boost investment in broadband services and applications.

Along with Mozilla, ADT; Dropbox; Eventbrite; Reddit; Vimeo; and Wikimedia argued open internet regulations were “critical” and would “ultimately encourage greater long-term investment” in infrastructure and services.

In a related blog, Mozilla chief legal officer Amy Keating explained Rosenworcel’s appointment as acting FCC chair offered a “new opportunity to establish net neutrality rules at the federal level”.

Rosenworcel opposed the FCC’s decision to ditch net neutrality regulations in 2017: a legal challenge was dismissed by a court in 2019, but left the door open for individual US states to implement their own rules.

The acting chair last month welcomed a Department of Justice decision back down from a fight against the state of California implementing regulations, a move AT&T this week blamed for a decision to end a zero-rating scheme covering video streaming.

Alongside industry group CTIA, the operator previously argued the decision on such regulation should be taken by politicians rather than the FCC.

And the regulator itself remains deadlocked in terms of political party representation, which could hamper the web companies’ calls for swift action.