FCC rules no Net Neutrality for Broadband over Powerlines

Kudos to the FCC for unanimously ruling that the promising "third pipe" into the home, Broadband over Powerlines (BPL) is an unregulated information service.

• The import of this decision is that it means no net neutrality for BPL.
• The FCC now has ruled all major intermodal broadband compeitors, cable modem, DSL, wireless broadband, and BPL to be information services and not subject to net neutrality regulation. Hooray! You go regulators!
• It is ironic and incongruous however, that the FCC Democratic commissioners who voted no net neutrality for BPL, are reportedly still holding up the AT&T-Bell South deal in part over wanting to add more net neutrality conditions to that merger.

Please also make note of Chairman Martin's clever use of the word "neutrality" in his statement:

• "I believe that it is the Commission’s responsibility to help ensure technological and competitive neutrality in communications markets."
• The Chairman is dead right to remind everyone that net "neutrality:"
• is not technologically neutral -- it would pick edge technologies over network intelligence technologies
• Nor is it competitively neutral since it effectively would pick tech competitors over communications competitors.