Alert: Paul Kapustka, the reporter on the story says that this response from Google came as a result of his queries about Verizon CEO’s statements at the CES, and not the recent BellSouth comments.
Google, despite all the posturing by the Regional Bell Companies is in no mood to play ball, and is ready to duke it out in the public domain. In other words, they are calling Bells’ Bluff. Jeff Pulver had made this suggestion only yesterday. In a quick email to Networking Pipeline, company spokesman Barry Schnitt writes:
Google is not discussing sharing of the costs of broadband networks with any carrier. We believe consumers are already paying to support broadband access to the Internet through subscription fees and, as a result, consumers should have the freedom to use this connection without limitations.
8 comments so far
5:04 PM PT
this is GREAT news. google is really stepping up to the plate here. the openness of the internet needs to be kept in place.
5:35 PM PT
Someone needs to get the Bell South reaction to this! “No, you can’t have my money, now what are you going to do next? Are you going to back down like a spineless telco bully boy or are you going to try and make me? Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough!”
Revenge of the Nerds 2.0
5:56 PM PT
Google’s new motto: Never kowtow to evil!
7:12 PM PT
Thank God for the Googles.
7:28 PM PT
Just to be clear… Google’s response was NOT to the latest BellSouth salvo, but to a story I wrote on Jan. 5 about Verizon from CES, which you can find here: http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/175801767. It actually took them a week to respond, so it wasn’t as quick as it looks. Maybe they’ll add more to respond to BellSouth.
8:40 PM PT
Never trust what a company says in PR releases. Companies like Google might end up paying silently in the end or the consumers will start paying according to usage. Either way the broadband providers win.
10:57 AM PT
Right now, Google needs the pipe owners more than the pipe owners need Google, and I doubt right now anyone in the govt. is willing to step up and champion Google to anyone.
6:20 PM PT
The internet is a forum of all possible
thoughts, feelings and potential actions
by people of the world. It is not action.
Illegal actions are punishable by applicable
law. Google is absolutely correct not to
share the information freely exchanged in
its’ forum with any particular party. This
includes any governmental agency, administration,
corporation, etc.
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