FCC [on AT&T's 1-800]: "Let's look at what this is"

   
Brian Fung reports to The Washington Post that the FCC recently appointed chairman, Tom Wheeler [pictured], won't rule our AT&T's recent "1-800" initiative (see "[Rumors]: AT&T "Sponsored Data" is Based on Openet's PCC" - here).

This is not the first time we hear such comments that may not agree with the "Open Internet" (Net Neutrality) concept, although the current US rules do not apply to MNOs. Obviously, subsidizing user's traffic gives an unfair advantage to the larger and richer content providers, even if they pay lower wholesale rates.

Last month, weeks before the AT&T's announcement, Mr. Wheeler said that "I am a firm believer in the market. I think we're going to see a two-sided world where Netflix might say, 'I'll pay in order to make sure that you might receive … the best possible transmission of this movie'. I think we want to let these kinds of things evolve" (here)

Now, after the announcement was made, the Chairman says: "My attitude is, let's take a look at what this is Let's take a look at how it operates ... If it interferes with the operation of the Internet ... if it develops into an anti-competitive practice ... if it does have some kind of preferential treatment given somewhere, then that is cause for us to intervene"

See "Will the FCC strike down AT&T’s Sponsored Data plan?" - here.