Though coming from opposite sides of the fence on the issue, Google and Verizon on Monday issued a joint recommendation to legislators that would give the government some authority over Internet traffic but significantly limit some of the regulatory limitations that some broadband providers have been griping about since the net neutrality issue first came to the fore.
As Enterprise Networking Planet discovered, the two companies are jointly suggesting legislation that would give the FCC the authority to enforce its existing set of open-Internet principals for wireline Internet service.
Those principles, among other things, stipulate that consumers should have the ability to connect to lawful content of their choosing.
That policy statement was the basis for a FCC order in 2008 rebuking Comcast for secretly blocking legal peer-to-peer traffic, an action overturned by a federal appeals court in April.
After weeks of rumors and back-room intrigue, Google and Verizon have come forward with the details of a joint policy proposal outlining a compromise that would provide for federal oversight of Internet traffic while avoiding some of the more stringent regulatory restrictions that have come under fire from broadband providers.
Though generally on opposing sides of the net neutrality debate, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Verizon (NASDAQ: VZ) have made occasional showings of solidarity since the Federal Communications Commission opened a proceeding to codify open-Internet and nondiscrimination requirements last October.
The talks have intensified in recent weeks as the FCC has been holding its own set of closed-door talks with industry stakeholders, including Google and Verizon, in an effort to hammer out a compromise on how the commission should proceed with its open-Internet agenda. Amid reports that Google and Verizon had reached a deal in their side talks, the FCC announced that it had called of its own negotiations.
Now, Google and Verizon have made their agreement public, outlining a point blog post.
