Verizon could soon regret its Net neutrality lawsuit
It looks very much like Verizon blinked in the game of chicken over Net neutrality. Amid rumors that FCC head Tom Wheeler is leaning toward a "hybrid" approach to regulation, Verizon this week pled the case for the FCC sticking to Net neutrality rules based on Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act -- the same act Verizon sued the agency for using in 2011.
In the lawsuit that overturned the FCC's 2010 Open Internet Order, Verizon argued that the agency didn't have authority under Section 706 to regulate for Net neutrality. While it may have seemed like a victory when a federal appeals court in January struck down the restrictions on discriminating against content over fixed broadband connections, that win could end up backfiring on the telecom industry.
After the ruling, plans initially seemed to go according to Verizon's plan. The FCC rolled over and offered weaker rules, including a controversial pay-for-priority proposal that gave the agency's blessing to ISPs charging for fast lanes.
In the face of overwhelmingly negative public reaction, recent comments from the FCC suggest the agency is now considering a hybrid approach to Net neutrality, which would allow fast-lane deals but reclassify content-provider traffic as a Title II service subject to regulation to block arrangements deemed harmful to consumers.
In a blog post this week, Verizon warns that such a plan "fairly guarantees litigation" and advises the agency against "departing from the safe harbor of Section 706." The bottom line, Verizon says, "is that effective Net neutrality rules -- without further judicial intervention -- are within reach, if the FCC takes the Section 706 route it originally proposed."
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http://www.infoworld.com/article/2844288/net-neutrality/verizon-could-regret-its-net-neutrality-lawsuit.html
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