FCC chair comes down on side of 'Net neutrality

In a move that should make Google, Amazon and other proponents of 'Net neutrality happy, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin says Comcast should be punished for throttling traffic and violating free and open access to the Internet.

Comcast has been in hot water with the FCC since it came to light about 9 months ago that it was blocking BitTorrent traffic. While Martin alone can't force the decision to punish Comcast, he is circulating an order among his fellow commissioners recommending enforcement action. The FCC is expected to vote on the measure at an open meeting on Aug. 1, according to an AP report. And the measure is likely to pass, since the two Democratic members of the commission are notable 'Net neutrality proponents and are likely to join Martin (a Republican) for a 3-2 favorable decision.

Such a decision would ripple across the industry. Congress has tried several times to pass 'Net neutrality legislation in the past but failed. And although the FCC in 2005 approved a policy statement designed to ensure that broadband networks are "widely deployed, open, affordable and accessible to all consumers," the overall policy has never been tested. But if the FCC is serious about policing Internet providers like Comcast (are they actually going to regulate the industry?), maybe Google won't have to build its 'Net neutrality detector after all.