Paul Kapustka's Blog

The first whiff of the coming salvo came in last week's Senat Commerce committee Net Neutrality hearings, when RBOC tool Walter McCormick tried to give Google a wedgie by comparing its Net Neutrality stance to its sure-we'll-censor approach to China. Though he was cut off quickly by Sen. Barbara Boxer, the tone of the coming bashing was clear: How can these Internet companies claim to want a free, open net when they clearly will shut down freedom to make their own businesses better?

It's a good argument, and one Google and Yahoo better come up with an answer for, quickly. Because Senators may not understand how optical networks can be provisioned, but they sure do understand that not letting Chinese web-surfers read whatever they want to amounts to something less than freedom. And in case you haven't heard, spreading freedom is what it's all about these days in D.C.

And from the looks of it, everyone on the RBOC/cable side has got the talking points down. In a letter to the editor in this week's BusinessWeek, Verizon mouthpiece David Fish refutes the idea that Verizon is "hogging its pipes," as an article from the magazine claimed earlier. As smart people like Om had noticed, the Verizon story in BW was half-baked. But check out the last line of Fish's letter:

At Verizon we agree with Vinton G. Cerf that there should be no "tollbooths" or other attempts to block access to the Internet. Along the same lines, efforts by Europe or China to block or control -- and efforts by some in the U.S. to regulate -- the Internet must be resisted with vigor.

Whack! Here comes the China club again, Google! Whack! Still think it's good business to provide half a loaf? Whack!