US broadband stimulus package shores up net neutrality

Telecom hopefuls looking to grab a slice of the Obama administration’s $7.2 billion broadband stimulus package will have to wrangle with net neutrality clauses baked into the grant guidelines released last Wednesday.

The grant guidelines include the FCC’s internet policy statement drafted last year in response to Comcast Corporation’s clandestine program to derail customers using the BitTorrent protocol. The policy statement specifically prohibits companies from deliberately blocking or slowing Internet traffic on their network...