FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in a historic vote Tuesday, approved network neutrality rules prohibiting broadband providers from blocking customer access to legal Web content, but many consumer groups decried the new regulations as weak and full of loopholes.

The new rules provide fewer protections for mobile broadband subscribers and may lead to a fractured Internet, critics said. The new rules, a compromise championed by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, would bar wireline-based broadband providers -- but not mobile broadband providers -- from "unreasonable discrimination" against Web traffic, prompting some consumer groups to call the rules "fake" net neutrality.

Genachowski's plan, approved after more than seven years of debate about whether net neutrality rules are needed, also contains several loopholes for broadband providers, critics said, including an exception for managed services separate from the public Internet.

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Verizon, Google 'Net Neutrality' Debate

Google Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. called for equal treatment of most Internet traffic while at the same time saying fast-growing cellular networks and yet-to-be-developed broadband services should be exempt from such restrictions.

Google and Verizon released a proposal arguing that broadband providers shouldn't be able to discriminate against Internet content providers.

The ideas outlined in the proposal put forth by the Internet search giant and one of the largest broadband providers stand in contrast to the Federal Communications Commission's recent proposals on "net neutrality" rules, which would prevent companies from giving preferential handling to certain types of online traffic.

The joint endorsement of exempting wireless services from net neutrality is a significant victory for cellular broadband providers such as Verizon, which have said that excessive regulation of those services would stifle their investments.

Cellular Internet access is becoming an increasingly important profit center for telecommunications companies as more consumers adopt mobile Web tools such as smart phones like the iPhone and phones based on Google's Android software.

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AT&T & Apple Being Investigated By FCC On Google Voice App

Because AT&T rejected Google’s voice application for the iPhone, the Federal Communications Commission has opened an investigation into the telco giant as well as Apple.

Was is rejected because it duplicates an app that already comes with the iPhone? However, AT&T stated they do not manage or approve applications for the App Store.

The FCC has sent a letter to all three companies involved: AT&T, Apple and Google. To view these letters, click here.