With the FCC unable to form an industry consensus on what “net neutrality” should mean, Google and Verizon on Monday announced their own joint proposal for an Internet policy that would prevent broadband service suppliers from blocking bandwidth hogs, such as videos and movie downloads, but also allow for operators to also sell premium services to speed traffic.
Such ideas immediately drew fire on Capitol Hill as allowing for discrimination rather than neutrality. At the FCC, Commissioner Michael Copps (D) attacked the whole idea of leaving the net neutrality issue to the broadband industry to resolve on its own.
“Some will claim this announcement moves the discussion forward. That’s one of its many problems. It is time to move a decision forward — a decision to reassert FCC authority over broadband telecommunications, to guarantee an open Internet now and forever, and to put the interests of consumers in front of the interests of giant corporations,” Copps declared.
Broadband policy has been issue number one for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and net neutrality is slated for yet another discussion at next week’s Commission meeting.
