Cited: MSNBC

Today Google and Verizon announced their proposal for an “open Internet,” in which they campaign for strict enforcement of a transparent and open wireline broadband service, but with loopholes for wireless service and “differentiated” wireline services like home health care monitoring.

The proposal — which is likely to carry weight as it comes from powerhouses of both content and broadband services — is an answer to the so-called “net neutrality” debate. Proponents for net neutrality demand that any Internet content or service be delivered by any broadband or wireless provider. The fear is that consumers would be charged extra for some content, like cable TV programming, or blocked from certain activities in order for the broadband provider to gain some competitive advantage.

Here, Google and Verizon are arguing that, for the most part, wireline services like cable, fiber-optic or DSL broadband should be required to maintain a network that gives consumers “access to all legal content on the Internet, and can use what applications, services and devices they choose.”

This would ensure that broadband providers wouldn’t curb access to competitors, according to the proposal. Not only that, they couldn’t even charge extra to deliver some services over others.

The proposal argues for transparency. Consumers must be “fully informed about their Internet experiences.” If there was some kind of interruption in services, the broadband provider would be required to explain it. The FCC would have the power to enforce these rules — using a “complaint-driven process” of evaluation — and to penalize “bad actors” with fines up to $2 million.

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Though the plan includes much of what net neutrality advocates have pleaded for, there are two glaring omissions to the proposed rules:

1. “We would not now apply most of the wireline principles to wireless,” says the proposal, “except for the transparency requirement.” Meaning that wireless carriers — including Verizon’s No. 1 ranked mobile subsidiary — would be at liberty to provide preferential access to certain services, block others, and charge customers extra if they saw fit.

2. “Our proposal would allow broadband providers to offer additional, differentiated online services” that they could in fact charge extra for, and offer with limited access or with the requirement of specified equipment. The examples provided are vast: “Health care monitoring, the smart grid, advanced educational services, or new entertainment and gaming options.”

Google and Verizon are clear about the possible misuse of such a loophole. The proposal cites “safeguards to ensure that such online services must be distinguishable from traditional broadband Internet access services and are not designed to circumvent the rules.”

Of course, the two companies aren’t making any laws here, just proposing guidelines. They close with a plea for other “stakeholders” to propose “constructive ideas for an open Internet policy that puts consumers in charge and enhances America’s leadership in the broadband world,” saying they will work with “Congress, the FCC and all interested parties” moving forward.

Google and Verizon have both previously denied they were in talks. In this announcement comes after the FCC abandoned its efforts on gathering major providers of broadband, wireless and content to discuss similar net neutrality guidelines. It was only a few months ago that a federal appeals court ruled the FCC do not have the authority to make Internet service providers follow such regulations.

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My Take: The Internet is going to be a controversial subject for a long time to come. It is utilized by so many that it will be difficult to put any kind of regulation on it. You have businesses and individuals alike in so many countries that I can’t see how it can be regulated. In fact, you have people who get frustrated because they need their Blackberry repair and can’t get on the Internet and you want to add regulations on how they get on the Internet or using it. All you are doing is adding more frustration to their busy lives.

The Internet itself is a business without an owner. And everybody who was connected to it utilizes it in one way or another. A computer service company uses it to help clients were having computer problems. They provide a service of computer support among their many services and you start regulating net, you start interfering with their business.

Even PSP repair services can be interfered with because PSP’s are now able to get on the Internet. People would have to resort to the old-fashioned yellow pages to find someone to repair their PSP. That is a very time-consuming process compared to the Internet. Then you have the services that provide colocation. A company in New York who has colocation is going to have difficulty getting to their data if the Internet is regulated. The same would go for a business that had a Chicago colocation; they would have the same difficulty if they had colocation.

The only Internet regulation I could see that will be helpful to anyone is the one on pornography. If pornography had its own “.XXX”, I believe it would be much easier to catch pedophiles and rapists through the Internet. It would also help parents to regulate what their children see or find on the Internet.

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