Google, Verizon team up to throw support behind FCC’s net neutrality push

Oct 21st 2009
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Google and [insert any wireless carrier here] are the last two entities in the world that we’d expect to issue a joint statement on net neutrality, seeing how Google firmly believes the FCC should enforce it regardless of medium while carriers generally want to be exempted — but Verizon and The Goog have put their differences aside for just one day to put together a thoughtful, lengthy piece on the subject. There aren’t any surprises in the piece other than the fact that CEOs Lowell McAdam and Eric Schmidt are personally attributed to the statement, but it echoes what most ISPs have been saying since new FCC chair Julius Genachowski came into play: they generally acknowledge that a free, unhindered internet has led to a better world and that it’s in everyone’s best interest to make sure that it continues to be that way. They go on to say that “there will be disagreements along the way” — Google and Verizon don’t see eye-to-eye on the finer points, for example — but that they’re all looking forward to a spirited debate with the folks over in Washington. Ultimately, the FCC’s ability to effectively police true neutrality on wireless networks ties in deeply with its ability to free up a lot more spectrum — something the CTIA’s been pushing for lately — and Genachowski recently mentioned that they’d be looking into it, so this could all end up working out without any broken hearts or black eyes.

Filed under: Wireless