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The celebrated openness of the Internet or Net Neutrality is quietly losing powerful defenders, reports the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, "Google Inc. has approached major cable and phone companies that carry Internet traffic with a proposal to create a fast lane for its own content… Google has traditionally been one of the loudest advocates of equal network access for all content providers."

One major cable operator in talks with Google says it has been reluctant so far to strike a deal because of concern it might violate Federal Communications Commission guidelines on network neutrality.

Read full story: Wall Street Journal

Updates:  UPDATED Dec 22, 2008 3:16 PM PST
December 14, 2008
Google Not Turning Its Back on Network Neutrality GigaOm
Net Neutrality and the Benefits of Caching Response from Google
The made-up dramas of the Wall Street Journal Lawrence Lessig
Bogus WSJ Story on Net Neutrality David Isenberg
Google: WSJ is ‘Confused’ on Net Neutrality Story Sidecut Reports
The Wall Street Journal's Google Hatchet Job dslreports.com
WSJ Gets It Wrong: Net Neutrality Still in the Front Seat Timothy Karr
The Journal Misunderstands Content-Delivery Networks Timothy B. Lee
Google hints at the End of Net Neutrality Richard Bennett
December 16, 2008
WSJ followup: baseless, unsupported, and wrong, yet they're sticking by the story Lawrence Lessig
December 22, 2008
The Google Kerfuffle – Edge Caching & Net Neutrality Technology Liberation Front (audio discussion)
'Network Neutrality'? Never Mind. WSJ

Related topics: Access Providers, Broadband, Net Neutrality, Policy & Regulation, Telecom