Verizon and Google Release Joint Proposal on Net Neutrality

Following last Friday’s flurry of reports regarding Verizon and Google’s alleged agreement whereby Google would pay for priority access over the telecom provider’s infrastructure, both companies have released the joint proposal in question.

The proposal outlines the steps that both companies will take to assist the FCC in order to effectively enforce the seven key elements outlined in the proposal: open access of current wireline infrastructure, prohibition of discriminatory practices which include priority access and discrimination of certain traffic types, including paid prioritization.

Other points include full disclosure of the wired/wireless internet experience for the consumer with new transparency rules, spelling out the FCC’s authority on the enforcement of the above following the Comcast/BitTorrent ruling by adding case by case enforcement with a maximum $2 million penalty for those found to be violating the above; allowing broadband providers to develop new services while placing safeguards to ensure that such services are differentiated and marketed as such in order to avoid skirting rules on broadband access with FCC monitoring.

The last of the key points include exemption of wireless broadband services from the above, save for the transparency requirement and the Government Accountability Office filing an annual report on the state of the wireless broadband marketplace in order to ensure that the policies in place are protecting consumers, with the final point concerning the reformation of the Federal Universal Service Fund in order to provide broadband access across the country to areas currently underserved or not served at all.