A federal court on Tuesday upheld “net neutrality” regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission last year. The court ruled, in part, that because providers are not understood by consumers to “speak,” they did not enjoy First Amendment protections.

The decision from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the FCC’s massive classification of broadband providers as public utilities, which came under the “Open Internet Order” passed by the commission last year. It also leaves those providers subject to FCC regulation, a major victory for the Obama administration.