(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc and Google Inc on Monday proposed principles for policing Web traffic, but stopped short of saying they should apply to wireless devices.
The proposal came after the Federal Communications Commission failed to broker an agreement among Internet service providers and Web companies on "net neutrality".
Net neutrality is a term that means high-speed Internet providers should not block or slow information or charge Web sites to pay for a fast lane to reach users more quickly.
Google's and Verizon's chief executives said on a call with reporters that the proposal does not represent a business arrangement between them, and that they hope the proposal could be used as a model for possible congressional legislation.
"As far as we're concerned, there would be no paid prioritization of any traffic over the Internet," said Verizon Chief Executive Ivan Seidenberg.
Seidenberg and Google CEO Eric Schmidt said regulators should police Internet service providers to ensure that they do not block or slow Internet traffic on phone lines.
The principles would not apply to wireless devices, a lucrative business for companies expecting growth in wireless broadband Internet services as more people use mobile devices like smartphones and BlackBerries.
The FCC is trying to determine if net neutrality rules should apply to both "land lines" and wireless devices. Reuters
