Federal regulators have rejected proposed changes by the Federal Communications Commission that would require all U.S. cell phone towers to have at least eight hours of backup power.

The White House Office of Management and Budget said late Friday that the FCC failed to get public comment before passing the regulations last year and didn't show that the information required from wireless companies would actually be useful.

A federal appeals court put the rules on hold this summer pending a review by the OMB, which is tasked with overseeing federal regulations.

FCC officials said they were considering their options, which could include changing the proposed regulations or voting to override the OMB's decision. The court would still have to rule before any regulations went into effect.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group for Internet users, is expected to argue in court on Tuesday that it's unconstitutional to prevent Americans from suing the telecom companies that allegedly helped the federal government unlawfully spy on them.