Back in 2006, Google began fighting for net neutrality, fearing that Verizon and AT&T could start blocking competing services. However, when Verizon became an important partner for Android, Google allied with Verizon to write and propose some
rules for net neutrality that left few consumer protections for wireless customers. Most of the net neutrality protections in their proposal would apply only to cable customers.
Google's and Verizon's
argument then was that wireless networks were still much slower than cable Internet and had lower capacity, and therefore the carriers had to do more aggressive traffic management to provide a better service.
Soon after Google's and Verizon's proposal, the FCC passed the
Open Internet Order (pdf) that looked quite similar to what the two companies had proposed, but it didn't make Verizon happy. As both a broadband Internet provider and a wireless carrier, Verizon didn't like the rule that said it can't block the services or apps it wants. Therefore, it challenged the FCC's statutory authority to regulate the ISPs in court.
