US mobile broadband providers prepare to fight net neutrality

It was always going to be unpopular with broadband providers, but the FCCs net neutrality rules could be worse than mobile broadband providers first thought.

The FCC's new chairman Julius Genachowski is moving to formalise principles put in place four years ago to ensure that ISPs did not unfairly influence the use of any content or services across their networks. However, to the chagrin of many in the American mobile broadband industry he is also looking to extend these principles to wireless providers. The principles were intended to ensure that internet users can access any content or run any applications on any device; and that there is fair competition between operators and services providers; in short that no-one was able to play favourites.

However, now the principles are being drawn up into the most far-reaching net neutrality policy America has seen; with mobile providers held to the same standards of transparent network management as their wired counterparts - something which mobile broadband companies are vocal in their resistance to.

Mobile providers argue that the "unintended" consequence of the new net neutrality push will be that excessive control over network management will prevent providers making the most of the limited available spectrum.  They also reason that competition within the market is sufficient to regulate it - which tends to be the case here in the UK - and that over-zealous controls of the mobile industry would reduce the competitive edge, thereby removing the driving factors for innovation and investment.

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