AT&T swipes at Netflix for net neutrality remarks

AT&T is taking shots at Netflix, accusing the video-streaming company of walking back its ardent support for net neutrality regulations that the Federal Communications Commission approved last week.  

Netflix was an influential backer of strong open Internet regulations at the FCC, but critics are accusing the company of an “attack of candor” after one Netflix executive said the company is “probably not” pleased with the final outcome. 

{mosads}“Netflix has spun a lot of tales during this FCC proceeding,” AT&T vice president Jim Cicconi said in a statement. “But it’s awfully hard to believe their CFO would go into a major investor conference and misspeak on an issue supposedly so crucial to their future. More likely he had an attack of candor. At least till his company’s lobbyists got hold of him.”

“I’m sure they’ll also have some terrific spin to explain Netflix’s data cap deal in Australia,” Cicconi added, referencing another deal the company has taken heat over recently. 

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has also attacked Netflix over the latest reports. 

Internet service providers, like AT&T, have been strongly against the FCC’s reclassifying broadband under strict authority governing traditional telephones. The rules are meant to prevent providers from blocking or slowing content to any website, while also restricting priority deals for faster service. 

Netflix has supported reclassification. It has been most interested in making sure net neutrality principles apply to so-called interconnection points, where traffic is transferred from the backbone of the Internet to the last mile where providers route the content to customers. Netflix has lamented paying providers to unclog congestion at these points so its video can stream smoothly. 

Variety reported that Netflix CFO David Wells told a conference that the company was “hoping there might be a non-regulated solution.” He asked himself rhetorically: “Were we pleased it pushed to Title II? probably not.”

After the report Wednesday, Netflix tried to clarify that it has not changed its support for the FCC’s rules. 

“Netflix supports the FCC’s action last week to adopt Title II in ensuring consumers get the Internet they paid for without interference by [Internet service providers],” Netflix spokeswoman Anne Mario Squeo said.