By Allen Tsai | Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:47 am |
U.S. regulators unveiled new proposals aimed at ensuring that wireless carriers wouldn't block certain types of Internet traffic flowing over their networks.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said operators should be subject to "open Internet" rules -- transparent network management practices to prevent discrimination on how Internet content or applications are handled.That means that AT&T, for example, would have to allow the use of file-sharing services on its wireless network -- which it currently bans. But service providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are struggling with the question of how to distribute the increasing volume of bandwidth-intensive services -- such as video sharing -- requires active network management. Heavy users can overwhelm cellular towers and neighborhood cable circuits, slowing traffic for everyone. At the same time, Internet companies like Google want to safeguard what has been an underlying "Net neutrality" assumption of the Web -- that all types of data are treated equally. Some critics argue that if carriers can degrade or block traffic, they become the gatekeepers of the Internet, able to stifle innovation. The issue could have broad implications on content and applications like Internet phone calling services like Skype and Google Voice and video streaming applications like SlingPlayer Mobile. The rules will be proposed at an open meeting in October.
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