While Google has been notably quiet on net neutrality as its lobbyists work to cultivate broader bi-partisan favor, the search giant broke that silence last week to file a comment with the FCC giving its thoughts on Title II. While the larger ISPs have (falsely) proclaimed repeatedly that the sky will fall, investment will drop and market innovation will collapse if strong Title-II based rules are passed, Google’s filing with the FCC (pdf) takes a somewhat different tone.

While Google’s filing never specifically throws its support behind Title II, it does specifically point out how Title II rules could come with some significant benefits. Specifically, Google’s director of communications law Austin Schlick argues that as a freshly-regulated telecom service under Title II, Google would gain access to utility poles and other essential utility infrastructure to aid expansion of Google Fiber. While the FCC has the right to forbear from these provisions, Google argues they really shouldn’t if they value improved broadband services:

“In determining whether forbearance is consistent with the public interest, the Commission must consider whether forbearance would “promote competitive market conditions, including the extent to which such forbearance will enhance competition among providers of telecommunications services.” Forbearance from allowing BIAS providers access to available infrastructure under Section 224 would have the exact opposite effect, maintaining a substantial barrier to network deployment by new providers such as Google Fiber, that telecommunications classification otherwise would remove.”

Read the Full Article: Source – Tech Dirt
https://www.techdirt.com/blog/netneutrality/articles/20150102/06201029579/google-quietly-argues-broadband-competition-google-fiber-build-out-could-be-aided-title-ii.shtml

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