Thread: F.C.C. Will Propose New Rules to Keep Internet Wide Open

F.C.C. Will Propose New Rules to Keep Internet Wide Open

F.C.C. to Try Again on ‘Net Neutrality’

By EDWARD WYATTFEB. 19, 2014



The proposal, to be introduced by Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the commission, will prohibit broadband companies from blocking any sites or services from consumers. Susan Walsh/Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission will propose new rules to encourage equal access to the web, by pushing Internet providers to keep their pipelines free and open.

The proposal on so-called net neutrality, to be introduced by Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the commission, will prohibit broadband companies from blocking any sites or services from consumers. It will also aim to prevent Internet service providers from charging content companies for access to a faster, express lane on the web.

The move by the commission comes as it begins considering Comcast’s bid to buy Time Warner Cable. The deal, which would unite two of the nation’s largest cable and broadband providers, has raised concerns that the merged company would have the heft to strong-arm Internet content players, like Netflix and Amazon, into paying for the right to reach broadband customers.

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The plan represents a reboot of sorts for the regulator. A federal appeals court ruled last month that the F.C.C.'s previous rules illegally treated Internet service providers as regulated utilities, or common carriers, the same as telephone companies.

But the court said that the commission did have authority to oversee broadband service in ways that encouraged competition and the expansion of broadband. In essence, that ruling, by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, expanded the commission’s oversight, prompting the regulator to introduce the latest plan.

The new rules, much like the old ones, would try to restrict discrimination — that is, a broadband service provider would need to follow guidelines that aim to treat all content equally, or face possible enforcement action. Mr. Wheeler said that the commission would step up its enforcement efforts. In part, that will include increased disclosure of providers’ network practices.



The idea, regulators say, is to keep a level playing field on the web and encourage innovation among smaller businesses. Without the rules, large, rich companies could have an unfair advantage, regulators argue.

But broadband providers like Verizon and Time Warner Cable have pushed back. Those companies have spent billions of dollars upgrading their infrastructure and want to manage those networks as they see fit.

The main differences with the latest rules are technical, rather than substantive. In a strictly legal sense, the F.C.C. will cite another section of the law for its authority. Some of the rules would also be enforced on a case-by-case basis, avoiding a “bright line” regulation that the court said was so strict that it treated broadband companies like utilities.

While the commission will not seek to immediately reclassify Internet service as a utility, Mr. Wheeler said it would retain the right to do so if its new rules were approved and appeared not to be working adequately. The commission also said it would not appeal the January court ruling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/bu...t.html?hp&_r=0

Google Fiber 'contest' opens up to 34 more cities, including San Francisco Bay Area

Mark Hachman@markhachman
Feb 19, 2014 11:23 AM

The Google Fiber race is on again.

Having successfully brought its gigabit Google Fiber service to Austin, Provo, Utah, and both Kansas Cities, Google said Wednesday that it will bring the service to nine more metropolitan areas across the United States—including one of the largest tech hubs, the San Francisco Bay Area. In total, 34 cities are eligible.

However, there’s a catch: Google hasn’t committed to bring Fiber to any of those cities, and the company didn’t say how in how many it would deploy Google Fiber. In fact, Google characterized the process as one where it would “explore” the opportunity with the regions: “It might not work out for everyone,” Milo Medin, vice president of Google Access Services, wrote in a blog post.
The full list of candidate cities up for Google Fiber.
So what are they? As the accompanying graphic shows, the list is clustered around nine regions: San Jose, Calif; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Phoenix, Ariz.; San Antonio, Tex.; Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, N.C..; and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. All of them, in general, are both tech hubs. And naturally, Google’s headquarters of Mountain View, Calif. (as well as nearby areas like Santa Clara) are all among the possibilities.

But so far, Google is playing coy about the process.

“We aim to provide updates by the end of the year about which cities will be getting Google Fiber,” Medin wrote.

“Between now and then, we’ll work closely with each city’s leaders on a joint planning process that will not only map out a Google Fiber network in detail, but also assess what unique local challenges we might face. These are such big jobs that advance planning goes a long way toward helping us stick to schedules and minimize disruption for residents.”

Google said that it would construct a “detailed study of local factors that could affect construction, like topography (e.g., hills, flood zones), housing density and the condition of local infrastructure”. It asked the candidate cities, meanwhile, to provide Google with maps of the city’s existing conduit, water, gas and electricity lines to help with the planning process.

Google offers its gigabit ethernet package in Austin, Tex., Provo, Utah, and Kansas City, charging about $70 per month for a basic Internet package. Adding TV services can take it up to $120 or so per month. Recently, Google’s chief financial officer told a Goldman Sachs conference that it is working on a 10-Gbit/s service, most likely for business.

It’s not the only game in town, though. Rather than build out a pricey new optical network, the recently-announced DOCSIS 3.1 standard will ride your cable modem to provide 10-Gbit connections to your home, although probably not for a few years.

Still, we can virtually guarantee that the multimillion-dollar shacks in the Santa Clara Valley will be wired up with Google Fiber in the next few years. As for the rest of us? We’ll have to wait.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2099005/google-fiber-contest-opens-up-to-34-more-cities-including-san-francisco-bay-area.html

Aha! Time Warner Cable ups Austin broadband speeds as Google Fiber looms

PCWorld 2 minutes ago

Written by Martyn Williams

With Google Fiber about to begin a fiber Internet service in Austin, Texas, Time Warner Cable said Thursday it is increasing home broadband speeds in the city by up to six times while keeping the price flat.
In Depth:Here's why big cities aren't getting Google Fiber anytime soonWashington Post (blog) - by Brian Fung