Why Didn’t Apple Join Opposition to FCC Net Neutrality Proposal?

More than 100 technology companies signed a letter taking issue with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposed rules to allow providers of broadband connectivity to charge content providers for access to the fastest lanes on the Internet.

The one technology giant conspicuous by its absence? Apple. The list included prominent Apple rivals such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on why it did not sign onto the letter. One possible explanation: The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Apple and Comcast are in talks for a streaming-television service that would use an Apple set-top box and get special treatment on Comcast’s cables to ensure it bypasses congestion on the Web.