Says it will fight any deal circumventing its authority

Aug 6, 2010 09:52 GMT  ·  By

The latest rumor about Google and Verizon apparently having secret talks which would enable the ISP to provide preferential access to certain types of traffic managed to cause quite a stir. While the talks have been, partially, denied by both companies, most people agree that some talks are happening. So much so that the FCC (the US Federal Communications Commission) has decided to end all closed-door talks it was having with major stakeholders.

"We have called off this round of stakeholder discussions. It has been productive on several fronts, but has not generated a robust framework to preserve the openness and freedom of the Internet - one that drives innovation, investment, free speech, and consumer choice," Edward Lazarus, chief of staff for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, said in a statement. "All options remain on the table."

The FCC had been in talks with Skype, AT&T, the National Cable and Telecommunications association and the Open Internet Coalition, which Google is a part of. Basically, the groups represent ISPs on one side and major web companies on the other. The talks concerned the matter of net neutrality and were seen as a way of getting everyone to agree on some form of regulation.

This came after the FCC was seen as becoming increasingly powerless, as the courts and Congress ruled that the agency could actually do very little in the matter of broadband regulation. The FCC is keeping a brave face, but it doesn’t look like it will be able to do anything to challenge any agreement that the groups involved come up with.

The decision to end all talks came after it was widely reported that Google and Verizon were holding their own and were close to an agreement that would bypass any discussion involving the FCC. Now the agency says that any deal struck by companies that goes against the FCCs views on net neutrality will not be acknowledged and will be challenged. The matter will become clearer when and if Google and Verizon reveal their discussions, if any.