AT&T looks to flip Network Neutrality debate on Google

In a letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission, AT&T, the largest phone company in the US, said any new Network Neutrality rules need to apply to Web companies like Google as much as to phone companies to ensure a level playing field. AT&T is arguing that Google would have an unfair advantage if its Voice service is not subject to the same rules proposed by the FCC on phone operators. "To the extent 'net neutrality' is animated by a concern about ostensible Internet 'gatekeepers,' that concern must necessarily apply to application, service, and content providers," Robert Quinn, AT&T's senior vice president for federal regulations, wrote to the FCC's Sharon Gillett. AT&T cited media reports that Google Voice was blocking some calls to phone numbers in certain rural areas in order to cut down on expenses. Phone companies are banned from blocking calls. USTelecom, a trade group representing service providers, sided with AT&T in a statement, accusing Google of "effectively assuming the power to decide who its customer can call and what content they can access." Derek Turner, research director of Free Press, said "AT&T's letter to the Federal Communications Commission is a red herring - it appears to be a political stunt to distract attention from the important work the FCC has begun on Network Neutrality."