Verizon on FCC Comcast/Network Neutrality Decision: Wait and See

Asked by reporters what the impact on Verizon would be of the Federal Communications Commission's decision that Comcast violated its network-management guidelines, Tom Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president and a former congressman, said he's anxious to see the FCC's order. He did not rule out taking the decision to court if it was written in a way that could cause problems for his company. The FCC asserted jurisdiction, he said, adding, "No court has made a judgment on whether or not it has jurisdiction and we'll see if Comcast challenges it." Tauke outlined the triage for dealing with issues like Network Neutrality. His first choice is industry self-regulation. If you avoid the problem, he said, you obviate the need to address it with regulation or legislation. His second choice is the sort of case-by-case approach the FCC has adopted, although there remain those questions about the FCC's authority, since its guidelines are not rules. Those approaches are sufficient without Congress stepping in to impose network neutrality laws, he suggested, adding, "The FCC's action in this case shows it intends to uphold the principles and we believe, therefore, that there isn't a need for further legislation."