The Free Press has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communication Commission, challenging the net neutrality rules laid out by the regulator.

The lawsuit [PDF], which was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston, claims that the net neutrality rules laid down by the regulator are different for fixed line and mobile wireless broadband.

The net neutrality rules laid down by the FCC prevent fixed line broadband providers from discriminating between websites but the same rules don’t apply to mobile wireless carriers.

According to the rules, mobile wireless carriers are not allowed to block voice and other applications that compete with their own services, but other than that, they are free do to what they want.

“When the FCC first proposed the open Internet rules, they came with the understanding that there is only one Internet, no matter how people choose to reach it," Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood said in a statement.

"The final rules provide some basic protections for consumers, but do not deliver on the promise to preserve openness for mobile Internet access. They fail to protect wireless users from discrimination, and they let mobile providers block innovative applications with impunity" he added.