Google-Verizon Plan Does Not Advocate Net Neutrality

Google and Verizon Advocate Net Neutrality, Sort Of

Google and Verizon released a joint statement advocating net neutrality, yet leaving a huge grey area for tiered traffic flow across the mobile web. Net neutrality, for those just tuning in, basically means that all web traffic is treated the same in terms of delivery priority.

Looks like Google's "don't be evil" motto now has an asterisk. The larger issue is why these two giant companies feel that it's their right to dictate web traffic law, as opposed to, for example, the FCC. The foxes are presuming to inherit the keys to the henhouse.

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The troublesome element of the statement is:

In other words, net neutrality except where Google and Verizon don't want net neutrality. In this case, the mobile web, where both companies have a massive stake in terms of operating systems, advertising content, and delivering the actual signal. The mobile web is the fastest-growing sector of the Internet market as smartphones get more affordable and tablets (such as the iPad) come into the fore.

Full Text of Google/Verizon Statement

It's difficult to see why "advanced educational services, or new entertainment and gaming options" should get any sort of preferential treatment, either via broadband or mobile.