Of all the national network carriers, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is the one that is most aware that telecom industry’s regulatory body, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will in its vote on February 26, chose to introduce Net Neutrality. However, it will not allow FCC to make sweeping-changes without asking some pertinent questions, claims AT&T Vice President Hank Hultquist.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) As Federal Regulatory head of the Federal Regulatory division, Hultquist, in a blog post on Tuesday, questioned the rationale behind reclassification of the services provided by the network carrier. He alleged that reclassification was a broader political exercise and was not prompted by real-issues of the networking industry.
The regulatory body had directed non-imposition of additional charges on rich content producers. Analysts argue that as consumers were already bearing costs of bandwidth consumption, charging content producers because they engage consumers longer and larger on the networks is illogical.
FCC Net neutrality rules issued in 2010
FCC, thus far, through various statutes has been warning-off internet service providers from blocking transmission of companies which generate high bandwidth consumption, such as Netflix and similar content producers.
FCC had in 2010 introduced the rules to net neutrality, within it’s powers as an information service providers’ regulatory body. As a result of which Verizon had successfully sued and own a common carrier restriction claim, before broadband reclassification. FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, claimed that the regulatory body hopes to right the wrong, by reclassifying broadband services and is prepared for lawsuits, which are inevitable, he remarked.
Presently, both AT&T as well as Verizon are ruled by telephone services and cellular voice carriers guidelines. However, the new vote is set to change that, and they may come under the category of common carriers for online mobile and fixed networks.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has, filed twice against FCC’s advisory and decisions, claiming that adequate analysis was not carried out before arriving at a decision.
Network industry expects Chairman Wheeler to release detailed plans as early as this Thursday, to counter eventual court suits by the various network service providers.
