The Internet Distinction

(Original article at Computerworld)

By Grant Gross

IDG News Service – The U.S. Federal Communications Commission should allow for an open Internet separate from specialized services that may prioritize IP traffic, a group of Internet and technology pioneers recommended.

The document, filed in response to an FCC request for public comments on proposed network neutrality rules, steers clear of recommending what rules should apply to the open Internet. But the distinctions between the open Internet and specialized Internet Protocol services, if allowed, need to be “defined clearly,” the group of 32 Internet experts said in comments to the FCC.

“If a service provides prioritized access to a particular application or endpoint/destination, it is not an open Internet service,” the group said. “Representations as to capacity and speed for the Internet must describe only capacity and speed allocated to Internet service.”

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