Google, Amazon and other online giants warn FCC on net neutrality

More than 100 Internet companies, including industry giants Google, Facebook, Amazon and Twitter, have submitted a letter to the FCC in defense of net neutrality. The letter cites reports that the FCC plans to propose watered-down net neutrality rules next week that will allow cable and phone companies to charge online firms fees to prioritize their traffic on the Internet. Also signed by eBay, Reddit, LinkedIn and other big names, the letter aims to persuade the FCC to toughen its stance on net neutrality.

"According to recent news reports, the Commission intends to propose rules that would enable phone and cable Internet service providers to discriminate both technically and financially against Internet companies and impose new tolls on them," the companies wrote in the letter.

"If these reports are correct, this represents a grave threat to the Internet. Instead of permitting individualized bargaining and discrimination, the Commission's rules should protect users and Internet companies on both fixed and mobile platforms against blocking, discrimination and paid prioritization, and should make the market for Internet services more transparent".

The FCC insists its rules won't upend fairness of the Internet. ISPs won't be able to act in a "commercially unreasonable manner," it says, or block any legal content. The FCC had no immediate comment on the companies' letter, Neil Gra'e, a spokesman for the agency, said in an e-mail.

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