August 20, 2010 by Jay Smith
Following a controversial strategy publicised by Google and Verizon to alter internet access for UK customers, an industry body has been meeting to discuss the future of open internet. Involving some of the biggest names in the technology sector, the meeting has been held to discuss Google’s plans to alter internet availability, giving some types of internet traffic primacy over others.
The new plans by Google and Verizon have been described as an ‘internet killer’ by consumer groups who oppose the anticipated changes. The meeting has been called following a loud demonstration last week in California, where around one hundred people marched to protest against the plans, ending up at the Google head offices. Protesters had amassed around 300,000 signatures requesting that people enjoy net neutrality regardless of where they come from.
Google and Verizon are looking to offer enhanced services to people using mobiles to access the web, and certain other categories of specialised content. The scheme was made public following a meeting held by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the future of net neutrality.
An agreement must be reached soon, in order to comply with US government plans to provide high-speed access to the net across the US by 2020. Currently, approximately 100 million American citizens do not have any broadband access at all. A spokesperson from the industry body commented: “Great progress has been made to develop internet openness principles in recent weeks, but more needs to be done to ensure cross-sector support and to preserve internet access, innovation and investment.”
“This new effort will build on that work to arrive at something that can achieve both public and private sector support and strike the balance of encouraging continued innovation and investment in the internet. The way forward is through a private sector initiative. All the other solutions are ones that will take a fairly long time to effectuate. Private sector leadership is important here.”
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