A federal court today refused the broadband industry's request to delay implementation of a key part of the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality order.

The full order will thus take effect tomorrow on schedule, unless Republicans in Congress somehow are able to stop it within the next few hours.

Trade groups representing cable companies, telcos, and wireless carriers had petitioned for a stay of the FCC's decision to reclassify the providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. The stay, if granted, would have left in place basic net neutrality rules that forbid blocking or discrimination against traffic. But it would have halted the reclassification and related rules governing Internet providers' behavior until the trade groups' appeal of the order is decided.

The Internet providers "have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review," the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in its ruling today.

The court did approve the providers' request to expedite the case, however. "The parties are directed to file a proposed briefing format and schedule within 14 days of the date of this order," the decision said.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler called today's decision "a huge victory for Internet consumers and innovators. Starting Friday, there will be a referee on the field to keep the Internet fast, fair and open," he said in a statement issued to media. "Blocking, throttling, pay-for-priority fast lanes and other efforts to come between consumers and the Internet are now things of the past. The rules also give broadband providers the certainty and economic incentive to build fast and competitive broadband networks.”

CTIA-The Wireless Association, one of the groups seeking the stay, said that “Today’s decision by the court to expedite the case is good news, demonstrating the seriousness of the FCC's complete and sudden reversal of decades of bipartisan policy. While the stay decision is disappointing and a loss for consumers, securing a judicial stay is always a challenge given the extremely high standards. The case is just beginning and the stakes are high—the US is the world's leader in the deployment and adoption of wireless broadband, due in large measure to decades of light-touch regulation... We look forward to presenting our full case to the court.”

AT&T and others challenging the order claim it violates Internet providers' First and Fifth Amendment rights.

Despite the Internet providers' protests, the FCC's order is already having a noticeable impact. AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast have been signing new interconnection agreements with network operators to avoid complaints that could be filed beginning tomorrow.