Google Fiber, network neutrality & the regulatory challenges in the age of gigabit broadband

Google Fiber, the gigabit network that is live in Provo Utah and parts of Kansas City, is facing its first big debate over network neutrality — it’s like a rite of passage for Internet service providers.

A Lawrence (KS) resident filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over Google’s terms of service, arguing that because Google prevented people from attaching servers to their fiber lines, Google was violating network neutrality rules. This tempest in a teapot could best be used to start two serious debates over broadband policy. The first is about the archaic definition of server in a world is replete with them. The second is a debate about what constitutes business broadband as the lines between businesses and home users blur.