After converting the FCC to the faith known as net neutrality, it looks like Google has given up its former faith in order to appease their new best friend Verizon.
It is imperative that we find ways to protect the future openness of the Internet and encourage the rapid deployment of broadband. Verizon and Google are pleased to discuss the principled compromise our companies have developed over the last year concerning the thorny issue of “network neutrality.†[…]
[W]e both recognize that wireless broadband is different from the traditional wireline world, in part because the mobile marketplace is more competitive and changing rapidly. In recognition of the still-nascent nature of the wireless broadband marketplace, under this proposal we would not now apply most of the wireline principles to wireless, except for the transparency requirement. (Google Public Policy Blog)
While both Google and Verizon are demanding that net neutrality be enforceable for wired connections, apparently the search engine giant has no plans on encouraging the enforcement of wireless connections.
With Android smartphones, iPads and iPhones creating a frenzy in the market place, many (if not most) Americans will probably be receiving a majority of their content from various mobile devices (not to mention tablets as well).
If wireless companies are allowed to charge for a higher quality of access to media content (say video, audio, etc.), consumers will naturally choose those with less streaming issues, forcing the rest to divest themselves of the mobileverse.
Instead of showing the world that corporations can put principles ahead of profits, Google has displayed that its current business relationships are more important than the future health to the internet.
Although one expects telecom companies to not favor net neutrality, Google’s sudden change of heart is demoralizing, especially when one considers their attempts at speeding up broadband internet.
Demanding net neutrality for one medium instead of the other (despite the fact that both can do the same thing!) is hypocritical, and will only result in the death of net neutrality overall.
Google needs to either rethink their stance on net neutrality or abandon its “don’t be evil” mantra, as the last users need is to be let down by yet another corporate giant.
Originally posted on August 9, 2010 @ 4:29 pm