Following the failed talks between ISPs, telcos and cablecos and the US Federal Communications Commission last week, Google and Verizon emerged?? into a hail of rhetorical gunfire from public interest groups after cutting an under-the-table deal on how…
Following the failed talks between ISPs, telcos and cablecos and the US Federal Communications Commission last week, Google and Verizon emerged?? into a hail of rhetorical gunfire from public interest groups after cutting an under-the-table deal on how they would handle internet traffic.
The Google-Verizon deal hammers another nail into the coffin of President Obama’s net neutrality plan. Obama is backed by a number of public interest groups, on of which Free Press said the deal would ‘divide the information superhighway, creating new private fast lanes for the big players, while leaving the little guy stranded on a winding dirt road.’
The FCC is not pleased and released a very negative statement, which read: “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.”
The FCC declined the opportunity for any further comment. It seems in the short term that the Google-Verizon deal has legs. However, given the silence from FCC Towers and the way that its top man, Julius Genachowski was allegedly leading the discussion, the providers of mobile broadband in the US have a short period of grace, before they are pounded by new legislation and regulation to make sure that broadband is available across the country and at a price that is accessible to all its citizens.
