[A2k] DailyTech on Google Antitrust + Net Neutrality Standards Preservation

[Seth Johnson]

> http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3159


Google to File Antitrust Complaints Against Telcos If Necessary

Tuan Nguyen - July 4, 2006 3:54 PM


Google says it's ready to file antitrust complaints if telcos
abuse their network control


Google spoke to reporters today and warned that if broadband
service providers abuse a possible right given by the government,
it will step up and file anti-trust complaints
(http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompanyNewsArticle.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-07-04T152432Z_01_L04777905_RTRIDST_0_TECH-GOOGLE-NETNEUTRALITY.XML&rpc=66).
The issue boils down to net neutrality, which has been large
ongoing issue between broadband service providers, companies,
schools and the government. Google says that it hopes that
legislators will support net neutrality, which will prevent large
telcos and cable companies from creating tiered networks,
charging more for a certain type of use than another, even though
the data travels the on same network.

Google said that it will not hesitate to file anti-trust
complaints against any company that abuses their control over
network bandwidth and prices. However, this control has not been
handed over from the government just yet. Although the US Senate
Commerce Committee approved a communications reform last week
that allows telephone companies to offer subscription based
television services to customers.

Vint Cerf, a Google vice president told reporters that "if the
legislators insist on neutrality, we will be happy. If they do
not put it in, we will be less happy but then we will have to
wait and see whether or not there actually is any abuse." Google,
like many other content-driven companies -- including Microsoft
-- support net neutrality. "My company, along with many others
believes that the Internet should stay open and accessible to
everyone equally."

Several communications and network companies including Cisco,
oppose net neutrality simply because their business is based on
network control and bandwidth. Last week, DailyTech reported that
the net neutrality debate received two new proposals from two
groups (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2957). The
Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the New Yorkers for
Fair Use both offered their own proposals on how net neutrality
should be handled. Both of the groups offered similar views,
saying that US legislators should distinguish the Internet from
other types of networks. Tiered networks would be okay as long as
the Internet itself remained neutral, said both groups.

Although several major telcos have said that the government and
companies like Google are concerned over nothing, many companies
supporting net neutrality say that given the chance, large telcos
would create tiered networks in a heart beat. Without a
neutrality bill protecting equal Internet access, Google fears
that fair competition would be stifled and prices would soar.

"We are worried that some of the broadband service providers will
interfere with that principle and will attempt to use their
control over broadband transport facilities to interfere with
services of competitors," said Cerf.