Chairman Wheeler: FCC is Net Neutrality 'Referee'

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler signaled June 18 that the interconnection deals struck in the shadow of the FCC's new network neutrality order are something of a template of how the FCC wants the new rules to work in encouraging marketplace solutions. In a press conference following the FCC's public meeting, Chairman Wheeler said the way he expected "the players, in this case the companies [he was pivoting from a football analogy] will work between and among themselves to resolve any problems, to resolve disputes."

He said the FCC's role was to be the referee (pivoting back to the football metaphor) and throw the flag when the rules get violated, "when something is clearly untoward." He said that the FCC has seen already, in interconnection agreements, that "just the fact that the FCC is on the field has allowed the players to come together and find mutually agreeable solutions." He suggested that was the game plan for other parts of the Open Internet order. "I think it is a good precedent for the kinds of things that we hope come," he said. Backbone providers Level 3 and Cogent have both struck some interconnection deals with ISPs in recent weeks, but still have some in the pipeline and have suggested if they aren't struck to their satisfaction, they would be asking the FCC to throw a flag.