Dammit Google. Every time I feel like you are taking the next big step in communications technology, you do something baffling like this.
A lot of people were very excited when Google initially announced that they would be laying infrastructure to provide free fiber optic internet connection in a number of U.S. Cities in the form of Google Fibre. This was especially exciting for consumers as Google spent years fighting for net neutrality policies to be put in place, keeping ISPs from restricting their customers' internet use for financial gain.
On Monday however, Google responded to an informal complaint that was filed with the FCC claiming that net neutrality does not give citizens a right to run servers out of their homes, an act that violates Google Fibre's terms of service. While many people picture servers as big expensive computers that only large companies use to move large amounts of data around, any personal computer can act as a server for any variety of common reasons. Running a mail server from home? That violates Google Fibre's Terms Of Use.
Using SSH to access files on your home computer from work? Google Fibre doesn't want that.
Monitoring your household remotely through a webcam?
Net neutrality states that “Fixed broadband providers may not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices.” Google claims that hosting a server from a residential location falls under the provisions for reasonable network management, but these provisions allow ISPs to take action should congestion occur, not to create policies that pro-actively prevent congestion. Furthermore, the majority of people who use their home computers as servers will not have any significant impact on congestion for a 1Gbps network.
Google's support representatives have been hitting the forums to assure people that the policy is not meant to restrict use of reasonable uses of their service, such as those listed above, however forum posts are not legally binding. Terms Of Use are, and we can be sure that, as soon as a single user falls into the gray area of network use, Google's black and white policies will take that user down.
To see Google's response to the informal complaint that the FCC forwarded to them, go here: *Warning: PDF File*
To see the FCC's policies regarding Open Internet and Broadband Industry practices go here: *Warning: PDF File*
The No Blocking rule is on page 2, in section ii of paragraph 1, and the Reasonable Network Management provisions are on page 47, in paragraph 80.