Moving Beyond the ‘Net Neutrality’ Debate

Technology companies could be the biggest losers if the government’s Internet traffic rules fall away. But many already are planning for a post-”net neutrality” future.

Google, Facebook and operators of several other popular Web services declined to discuss a federal court’s rejection of the Federal Communications Commission’s Internet service regulations. Some smaller tech companies or industry executives, however, were sharply critical of the ruling. The court ruling could open the door to Internet-pipe owners charging fees to YouTube or Netflix to ensure their Internet traffic moves more quickly into people’s homes. There’s a longstanding discomfort in Silicon Valley with telecom companies treating some content as more equal than others. Tech executives such as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have said rules that create a level playing field for Web content ensure the availability of Internet information isn’t determined by the size of someone’s checkbook.