Verizon seemingly won a huge victory in January when a federal appeals court struck down network neutrality restrictions on blocking and discriminating against Internet content over fixed broadband connections.

But Verizon's lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission could backfire, with the commission now considering even stronger rules on both fixed and wireless networks. That's why fellow Internet service providers are "secretly furious" with Verizon, tech policy reporter Brendan Sasso of National Journal wrote today:

Other Internet service providers won't publicly criticize Verizon. But privately, lobbyists grumble that they wouldn't be in this mess if Verizon had just accepted the old rules. Four broadband-industry officials said there's widespread frustration with Verizon for making what they view as a bad strategic error. Some companies had even tried to talk Verizon out of filing its lawsuit, officials said. "They were like a dog chasing a bus," one broadband source said. "What are you going to do when you catch the bus?"

The 2010 FCC rules that Verizon successfully overturned prevented fixed broadband providers from blocking Internet content and strongly discouraged paid prioritization agreements in which online services pay ISPs for priority access to consumers. The rules for cellular carriers were weaker, though; wireless carriers were allowed to block applications that didn't compete against their telephony services and did not have to follow the anti-discrimination rule.

A federal appeals court said the FCC did not properly justify its rules, but it noted that the FCC could put them back in place by declaring broadband to be a utility subject to common carrier regulations under Title II of the Communications Act. ISPs have lobbied heavily against such a reclassification because it could open them up to more regulations.

The FCC's preliminary order on net neutrality in May 2014 proposed weaker rules than the 2010 order, signaling that Verizon's gamble could pay off. But the proposal inspired a backlash from consumer advocates, Internet subscribers, and some tech companies. The FCC has finished collecting comments from the public and now has to decide whether to stick with the May proposal or change it.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler hasn't proposed reclassifying broadband, but he insists that Title II is "on the table." While the FCC's preliminary order continued the approach of treated fixed and mobile broadband differently, Wheeler has also said the FCC could "revise our treatment of mobile broadband services."

If Wheeler decides to ban Internet fast lanes and impose stricter rules on wireless, he'll have backing from FCC commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn, giving him enough votes to impose rules stronger than the ones Verizon fought against in the first place.