A month ago, Google stunned many of its allies, according to the New York Times by crossing the aisle and teaming up with Verizon Communications to propose that net neutality rules should not apply to wireless access.
The proposal from Google and Verizon was all the more surprising to some advocates because it was released just as broader talks brokered by the Federal Communications Commission were close to producing a draft compromise agreement. After reports of the deal, the F.C.C. called off the talks
Following the April Comstat decision struck down the FCC's legal basis for enforcing "net neutrality", the FCC has been asking advice on the special services that offer to prioritze certain digital traffic for a fee. It has been accused by both parties of trying to regulate the internet and then by some groups of ducking the issue when it allowed 55 days for comments, indicating no action until after the election.
The FCC is meeting today (9/23/10) to discuss the regulations that have pitted major telecoms, which want control of the flow of information across the broadband networks against small businesses and bloggers.
Prior to 2002, the classified as a "telecommunication service" . That year, the Bush FCC changed the clasification to a "informational service" to avoid Congressional action protecting the Internet from control by major corporations.
Since the April Supreme Cour decision said that the FCC cannot regulate broadband as an "informational servive" , the current FCC wants to reclassify back to "Telecommunications" but Chairman Julius Genachowski has been under pressure not to reclassify but rather let Congree handle it.
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