The Internet Society notes with interest the recent Open Internet proposal from Google and Verizon. We believe it would be constructive for this proposal from two United States-based companies to be debated and considered by the global Internet community in an open and transparent process so that a range of perspectives may be brought to bear on this difficult topic. In the end, this has the potential for deep global impact, and policy makers around the world need to consider the outcome of those discussions, taking care to develop policies that promote innovation and growth without unintentionally stifling it.

The Internet Society is committed to supporting Internet policies that promote competition, allow users to access lawful content and applications, and enhance transparency for users. Fundamentally, we believe that Internet access should mean the provision of connectivity to the global Internet without any regard to the source, destination or content of subscriber traffic. Other offerings may provide IP-based applications and services to consumers on a more limited basis but do not truly constitute “Internet access”. Measures to improve transparency in Internet access offerings are critical so that consumers can make informed choices on the basis of clear and comparable information.