Google CEO makes call to action over Net Neutrality

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 8 Jun 2006 at 12:58

Google has of late shown a bent for acquiring small companies and making a success of integrating their products by rolling them out to its enormous user-base.

With the thorny issue of 'Net Neutrality' it is hoping to do this on a political level. CEO Eric Schmidt published an open letter asking its users to support its stance to keep a level playing field for access to information online.

It's an issue Web companies such as Google, as well as the likes of Microsoft, want to pin down quickly. They are fighting a concerted campaign of PR and political lobbying from US telcos and network owners to be able to offer a 'premium' Internet to companies willing to pay for it.

Such an Internet would give its 'customers' favoured bandwidth provision over non-paying surfers, potentially causing a chasm dividing the information and access available to the latter.

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web has already spoken out against such divisions. He said: 'The neutral communications medium is essential to our society. It is the basis of a fair competitive market economy. It is the basis of democracy, by which a community should decide what to do. It is the basis of science, by which humankind should decide what is true.'

However, upcoming Congressional hearings will decide the direction of legislation which will determine the outcome of the issue.

Says Schmidt: 'It's a debate that's so important Google is asking you to get involved. We're asking you to take action to protect Internet freedom.

'In the next few days, the House of Representatives is going to vote on a bill that would fundamentally alter the Internet. That bill, and one that may come up for a key vote in the Senate in the next few weeks, would give the big phone and cable companies the power to pick and choose what you will be able to see and do on the Internet.'

For more information visit the Google website.