FCC Chair Throws Weight Behind Net Neutrality - Page 2

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David Young, Verizon's director of Internet and technology policy, sat for a panel discussion this morning following Genachowski's speech, and explained that his firm shared the chairman's goal of an open Internet, but echoed Largent's concerns about the impact on the wireless sector.

"Wireless is a very different environment than wireline," Young said. "It creates unique network management requirements that quite frankly don't exist on a high-capacity fiber network."

Following Genachowski's speech, CTIA issued a statement reiterating its concern "about the unintended consequences Internet regulation would have on consumers."

Seeking to defuse that sort of criticism that invariably greets any form of Net neutrality proposal, the chairman declared this morning, "This is not about government regulation of the Internet. It's about fair rules of the road for companies that control access to the Internet."

He added, "We will do as much as we need to do, and no more, to ensure that the Internet remains an unfettered platform for competition, creativity, and entrepreneurial activity."

For VoIP provider Skype, which has struggled to make its application available on wireless networks and petitioned the FCC to impose open-access rules on carriers, today's announcement was "an extremely welcome development," according to CEO Josh Silverman.

"Let me be clear: There is only one Internet," he said in the panel discussion following Genachowski's speech. "The exact same expectations you have of your PC, you're going to have of your mobile phone."

To gather public comment on the proposed rulemaking, which Genachowski promised would be "fair, transparent, fact-based, and data-driven," the FCC today launched the Web site OpenInternet.gov.

Genachowski said the commission would hold a series of workshops on the issue, just as it has been with its work developing a national broadband strategy, and engage the public through new media tools like YouTube and Twitter.

"Anyone will be able to participate in this process, and I hope everyone will," he said.