The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is diving deeper into Google and Verizon’s proposed net neutrality framework with a public notice and inquiry into two of net neutrality’s key issues.The FCC’s seven-page public notice tackles two of the key proposals from the Google-Verizon framework: “Specialized Services” and net neutrality/open internet principles for the mobile wireless Internet. The Google-Verizon proposal has received heavy criticism for excluding wireless Internet from many net neutrality regulations.
“There are two complex issues, however, that merit further inquiry,” reads the report. “The first is the relationship between open Internet protections and services that are provided over the same last-mile facilities as broadband Internet access service. The second is the application of open Internet rules to mobile wireless Internet access services, which have unique characteristics related to technology, associated application and device markets, and consumer usage.”
The FCC has already said that it doesn’t agree with all of the points of the Google-Verizon proposal, and this public notice carries that tone. The FCC’s concern with specialized services seems to be that open Internet protections could be weakened if broadband providers use specialized services to circumvent the rules that apply to broadband Internet access.
On the wireless front, the FCC “seeks comment on ‘how, to what extent, and when’ openness principles should apply to mobile wireless platforms, with a particular emphasis on furthering innovation, private investment, competition and freedom of expression.” In other words, the FCC wants it to make the rules of wireless net neutrality very clear so companies like Google and Verizon don’t use ambiguity to their advantage.
The FCC is giving interested parties a 30-day window for filing comments and a 55-day window for reply comments. This is probably only the beginning; the important issue of net neutrality isn’t going to be resolved anytime soon.
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