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End of net neutrality negotiations good news for internet
The FCC has called off negotiations with major Internet industry players to arrive at a compromise for net neutrality. The meetings were an attempt to come to an amicable agreement over net neutrality rules and dodge political pressure over FCC jurisdiction and authority--but asking the fox how to protect the henhouse is generally unwise.
The FCC should pursue its goals and regulate the Internet without asking permission from industry players.Reports of a secret deal between Verizon and Google for preferential treatment of Google traffic on Verizon's networks may have been a catalyst to the breakdown of negotiations. But, whether that is true or not, the end of the negotiations is great for the future of the Internet. The FCC is supposed to provide guidance and oversight of these Internet industry stakeholders--not the other way around.
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, Senior Vice President and Policy Director of Media Access Project, had this to say about the rumored Google-Verizon deal. "What is good for Google and Verizon is not necessarily good for innovation and competition on the Internet. What the two companies have in common is that both are incumbents with dominant positions in their markets. It's no wonder they are prepared to strike a deal that protects their market position at the detriment of the next Verizon and the next Google."