Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

Jan. 17, 2010

January 14 was the deadline to submit comments or questions for the FCC's position on net neutrality, a very hot topic that has attracted the attention of the entire wireless segment, the telecom industry, hosting companies and of Internet service providers.

For its part, the mobile industry has lobbied strong against net neutrality regulation on the grounds that mobile and wireless networks are fundamentally different from wired networks because they depend on a limited resource – spectrum – to provide enough bandwidth for mobile broadband users.

AT&T has also sided firmly with the CTIA (Cellular Telephone Industries Association), while Verizon Wireless has taken a slightly different stance on the matter. In a joint statement filed with Google, Verizon Wireless laid out several principles for a "self-directed ecosystem that continues to innovate and invest without unnecessarily restrictive government intervention."

And it goes on to say "in particular, consumers should continue to have access to the information, products and services of their choice online, to better encourage investment in robust, advanced networks, and to protect and promote Internet openness."

Both Verizon and Google added that the FCC should examine specific market segments and technical factors before applying any general oversight or specific rule to wireless broadband networks.

In a letter sent to the FCC a week ago, CTIA President Steve Largent said that the agency's proposed new rules would "be incompatible with wireless broadband and are inappropriate for mobile broadband networks and unnecessary to ensure that wireless consumers continue to enjoy the open Internet."

For its part, Skype took a much more hardline approach to the FCC's regulation stance on wireless broadband, saying: "Some evidence suggests that wireless carriers and operators have the incentive and ability to harm innovation in the real-time communications application market, such as that made possible by Skype, either by outright blocking or more subtle forms of discrimination."

"Because these applications offer consumers additional choice and savings, they should not be delayed, obstructed or throttled by broadband access providers," a Skype spokesperson said.

So far, other wireless carriers and operators such as Sprint, Boost Mobile and MetroPCS haven't commented on the FCC's stance towards net neutrality, but we will keep you posted.

Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

Source: AT&T.