AT&T and Verizon Oppose FCC Open Internet Regulations

Major telecomm companies including AT&T and Verizon are set to square off against the FCC on a new set of Internet regulations that the agency is floating around. The regulations seek to make a more open Internet, stipulating that network operators cannot prevent users from accessing lawful content, cannot prevent users from accessing the network with unharmful devices, cannot discriminate against content or applications, and must maintain transparency in their network management. While AT&T and Verizon have supported the regulations as they relate to hard-wired broadband, wireless Internet has been a major source of contention. The companies have vocally derided the wireless regulations, citing limited bandwidth, unpredictable, decentralized usage by consumers and potentially harmful impacts on investment. Proponents, on the other hand, cite the lack of wireless provider competition–something the FCC is already investigating– and expected future expansion of wireless access as reasons that the regulations are needed. [via CNET]