It's been less than a month since the Federal Communications Commission voted in the Title II reclassification, and companies are already requesting access to Internet fast lanes.
Sony, HBO and Showtime are reportedly in discussion with ISPs like Comcast about treating them as "specialized services", which would give them access to the so-called "Internet fast lanes". While this sounds like it's breaking the rules the FCC just voted in, The Wall Street Journal notes that it is legally acceptable.
"The FCC carves out an exception for special services that don't provide wide access to the internet, such as VoIP and heart monitors. Those services are therefore exempt from net neutrality rules and may be provided over a fast lane," The Verge reported.
However, there's one key issue; what is a specialized service and who defines what is or is not one? Only the FCC can determine that.
Comcast has already gained access to a fast lane through its on-demand service. If the three content providers want one as well, they will have to create an interface that only gives users access to their content and not to other parts of the Internet in any way. While some saw Comcast's move as the first step towards creating inequality on the market, the media company sees it as just another part of its TV subscription. However, it's unclear if that level of protocol would work as well for an Internet-only service like Sony's Vue service or Netflix.
Some experts in the business find this to be a terrible idea, such as Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch, who says "it makes a mockery of net neutrality," according to The Verge.
"It is a bad thing for consumers and a bad thing for innovation," Lynch added.
Thankfully, the FCC's methods for categorizing this kind of specialized service is very vague and allows for them to discuss and analyze the companies and their requests accordingly.
