Google and Verizon Reveal Details of ‘Open Internet’ Deal
In Industry News, Search News | No comment
Now that details of the potential deal between Google and Verizon have been made public, it doesn’t appear to be the diabolical plan that many made it out to be. But it still has great significance for the ongoing debate on net neutrality. On Monday morning, Google laid out the details of the proposal in a post on their Public Policy Blog.
According to Google, the purpose of the proposal is “to protect the future openness of the internet and encourage the rapid deployment of broadband.” Since both of the companies are monoliths in their respective industries, their proposal for an “open internet” is sure to spark some serious debate. Although the proposal is extensive and complex, you can understand the gist by looking at the companies’ two stated goals:
- Users should choose what content, applications, or devices they use, since openness has been central to the explosive innovation that has made the Internet a transformative medium.
- America must continue to encourage both investment and innovation to support the underlying broadband infrastructure; it is imperative for our global competitiveness.
Last month, FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, proposed an outline of explicit rules that will soon protect consumer access to an open Internet. What is considered as “network neutrality,” the rules will prevent broadband-based Internet providers such as AT&T and Comcast for example, from discriminating against certain types of services, applications, or online views. They will also require providers to have have public access to the companies manage-mental practices.