GOOGLE, VERIZON NET PACT HAS 'MANY PROBLEMS' SAYS FCC COMMISH
Interests of consumers versus giant corporations
If Google and Verizon thought that their "free except when it isn't"
internet plan would have smooth sailing through the US Federal
Communications Commission, a response by one FCC commissioner should
snap them back to reality.
"Some will claim this announcement moves the discussion forward," said
Michael Copps in a statement (PDF) referencing the Google/Verizon
proposal. "That's one of its many problems."
Copps didn't detail the "many problems," but the remainer of his
statement made it clear that he's firmly on the side of FCC chairman
Julius Genachowski's third way plan, which claws back some of the
regulatory mojo that the FCC lost when their ability to regulate
internet traffic was dope-slapped into near irrelevancy by a federal
judge in the Comcast decision.
"It is time to move a decision forward — a decision to reassert FCC
authority over broadband telecommunications, to guarantee an open
Internet now and forever, and to put the interests of consumers in front
of the interests of giant corporations," Copps wrote.
From Copps' point of view, the battle lines in this tug of war are as
clear as the stakes are great. Genachowski, a network neutrality
proponent, has two "interests of consumers" allies on the commission:
Copps and Mignon Clyburn, both Democrats. And then there are the
"interests of giant corporations" commissioners, Robert McDowell and
Meredith Baker, both Republicans.
MORE:
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/10/copps_versus_google_and_verizon/>
MY COMMENT: Republicans are, as usual, pro-big business and
anti-citizen.
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