Internet toll lanes appear less likely

"WASHINGTON — Edward E. Whitacre Jr., then chief executive of SBC Communications Inc., ignited an impassioned online debate about creating toll lanes on the Internet in late 2005, when he called Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. 'nuts' for expecting free use of his company's network to deliver their content.

A little more than a year later, Whitacre may have taken a big step toward dousing that debate.

As head of the muscular new AT&T Inc. — SBC took the name when it acquired the venerable long-distance giant — Whitacre surprisingly agreed last week that his company would not sell premium delivery of Web content for the next two years. His decision could spur Congress to extend the prohibition to all Internet providers."

Internet toll lanes appear less likely - Los Angeles Times