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Google Fiber is going out of its way to make rival ISPs miserable

Updated Jan 30th, 2015 9:37AM EST
Google Fiber Vs. Comcast AT&T Net Neutrality

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Remember when AT&T issued a high-decibel shriek that reclassifying ISPs as common carriers would kill off its ability to invest in future network buildouts and upgrades? Well, it turns out that not every ISP thinks that way.

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The Washington Post brings us word that Google has now explicitly said that the kinds of net neutrality rules currently being considered by the Federal Communications Commission wouldn’t impact the company’s plans to expand the availability of its high-speed Google Fiber Internet service.

“The sort of open Internet rules that the [Federal Communications Commission] is currently discussing aren’t an impediment to those plans and they didn’t impact our decision to invest in Fiber,” Google told the Post in a statement.

This isn’t the first time that Google has made waves with its statements about reclassifying ISPs as utilities under Title II of the Telecommunications Act. Earlier this year, the company told the FCC that reclassifying broadband providers under Title II of the Telecommunications Act would have a big side benefit for Google Fiber because it would give Google Fiber the same access to utility poles and other key infrastructure currently enjoyed by Comcast, AT&T and other big-name ISPs.

Essentially, Google seems to be daring other ISPs to slow down their network buildouts if the FCC reclassifies them under Title II. After all, doing so would just help drive more customers to Google Fiber in the future, especially if Google plans to keep aggressively expanding the service’s reach.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.