Industry consensus would be the best Network Neutrality solution

[Commentary] Could opposing (commercial) sides of the great Network Neutrality debate find consensus?

"I think it ought to be resolved in a deal basically," said Amazon vice president for global public policy Paul Misener. "And the view would be this: Network operators would accept Net neutrality rules in exchange for the certainty of explicit permission to offer paid managed services, and that kind of a package it seems to me is eminently doable and it benefits all ... stakeholders."

Tom Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president for public affairs, policy and communications, was not so explicit, but he was also optimistic about the idea of the industry reaching its own solution. "I think in the near term we can reach agreements on the Net neutrality issue which would allow consumers to be protected, the network providers to be able to offer all the services that we are capable of providing, and all of the other players to be certain that they also can thrive in the space," he said. Tauke said Verizon was working hard with Google and other players to try to reach a consensus and then offer that solution to the FCC.

The idea of stakeholders devising their own Net neutrality solution is particularly appealing now that serious questions have arisen about whether the FCC has authority over broadband.