Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said on Wednesday that he did not welcome a recent proposal by Google and Verizon about how to regulate Internet service. “I would have preferred if they didn’t do exactly what they did, when they did,” Mr. Genachowski said at the Web 2.0 Summit conference in San Francisco. “It slowed down some of the processes.”
Google and Verizon said in August that they supported rules that would block Internet service providers from charging companies more to send their content over a “fast lane.” But they added that the rules should not apply to Internet service over mobile phone networks or for any new broadband services rolled out in the future.
The proposal by Google and Verizon immediately drew criticism from supporters of network neutrality, the idea that all Internet traffic should be treated the same. Their argument is that charging more for faster service would give an advantage to bigger companies and harm innovation.
Mr. Genachowski supports network neutrality, although its implementation is in serious doubt. Just before Google and Verizon released their proposal, the F.C.C. called off negotiations with a group of Internet and telecommunications companies to reach a compromise.
Mr. Genachowski said that he was glad that companies like Google and Verizon discuss the topic among themselves. He did not say specifically what he disliked about the Google and Verizon proposal.
As for where network neutrality stands today, Mr. Genachowski said that F.C.C. lawyers are evaluating the next step so that whatever is done will not be overturned in court. A federal appeals court ruled in April that the F.C.C. lacked the authority to keep Internet service providers – Comcast, in this case – from selectively slowing or blocking Internet traffic for certain services.
Mr. Genachowski also said he did not want any new rules to hinder innovation. “All options are still on the table,” he said. “We will make sure that we get the rules right, we need to make sure that what we do maximizes innovation and investment across the ecosystem.”