Last week gave rise to a whirlwind of rumors that Google and Verizon were in talks to announce a new service that directly opposes the long sacred policy of Net Neutrality. Today we have discovered those rumors were not entirely accurate, as the two companies have officially announced what they have been working on, and it is not nearly as disturbing as Net Neutrality advocates had thought.
Earlier today both Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg announced that their two companies have been working on an open internet proposal for lawmakers. The proposal is somewhat complex, but both CEOs stressed their belief of an open internet.
The new joint policy is outlined in seven key elements:
One
“Both companies have long been proponents of the FCC’s current wireline broadband openness principles.”
Two
“For the first time, wireline broadband providers would not be able to discriminate against or prioritize lawful Internet content.”
Three
“Create enforceable transparency rules, for both wireline and wireless services.”
Four
“Our proposal spells out the FCC’s role and authority in the broadband space.”
Five
“Allow broadband providers to offer additional, differentiated online services, in addition to the Internet access and video services (such as Verizon’s FIOS TV) offered today.”
Six
“Under this proposal we would not now apply most of the wireline principles to wireless, except for the transparency requirement.”
Seven
“Reform of the Federal Universal Service Fund, so that it is focused on deploying broadband in areas where it is not now available.”
One aspect of the joint policy that has “Net Neutrality” proponents concerned, is the fact that it does not apply to wireless internet. Google stated, “Under this proposal we would not now apply most of the wireline principles to wireless.” This could lead to a variety of issues down the line, in that the two companies could create a future proposal for wireless internet that is entirely different than wireline. The current joint policy and any future ones will thankfully need approval of the F.C.C.
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