Today, Google and Verizon proposed to allow ISPs to offer premium content bundles in addition to the regular, open internet, in an effort fight of net neutrality regulations that are looming on the horizon.
The two behemoths say that the proposal would keep the ‘regular’ Internet just the way it is, but would allow content companies looking to deliver services that require massive bandwidth to do so in return for payment, via a second set of pipes – or a so called ‘fast lane’.
The proposal does not allow for paid prioritization of one company’s traffic over another – something net neutrality fans have been fighting against for years.
The proposal would, theoretically, allow for large providers like Verizon to move premium content (such as video) to consumers at a faster rate – but at a fee – thus opening new revenue streams. The ‘fast lanes’ would remove a major barrier to online video – the time required to download the content.