Although Verizon EVP Tom Tauke intended to discuss broadband policy issues during his address to the Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum, instead he focused on clarifying the Verizon-Google deal, or as he called it, “the elephant in the room.”  After being at opposing ends of the debate on net neutrality, Google and Verizon have crafted a compromise position, which, as Tauke points out, meets public and government calls for openness and transparency.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable shared more from Tauke’s speech:

Tauke pointed out that the accord included signing on to the FCC’s openness principles and adopting a fifth nondiscrimination principle “is much tougher than any other non-discrimination principle that had been put on the table publicly before.”

…. Pointing out that many businesses use virtual private networks to allow them to access benefits and services, Tauke said consumers should not be denied the same opportunity to access other services in addition to the Internet…”

The idea that Tauke had to switch his speech from addressing broadband deployment and adoption to net neutrality can be seen as a metaphor for the broadband conversation at large.  Let’s not forget to focus the dialogue on getting and keeping Americans connected!

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