Amazon Signs Net Neutrality Letter – Apple Is MIA

Google  GOOG, Facebook FB, Microsoft MSFT, even Amazon AMZN, all joined a large number of tech companies and others in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission in support of net neutrality.

Missing in action from the letter was one big tech company – Apple AAPL.

The letter took a position in opposition to a recent FCC proposal that would allow what the companies view as discrimination against some at the expense of others, according to The Verge. All told, nearly 150 entities signed the letter.

Related: The End Of Net Neutrality, Or A New Attempt At Fairness?

The FCC proposal that was the subject of the letter reportedly would move away from the Internet as a utility and allow some companies to pay more for higher priority and speedier access with their Internet service provider (ISP).

The letter to the FCC read in part, “According to recent news reports, the Commission intends to propose rules that would enable phone and cable Internet service providers to discriminate both technically and financially against Internet companies and to impose new tolls on them. If these reports are correct, this represents a grave threat to the Internet.”

While it’s not known why Apple didn’t sign the letter – it is possible, 9to5 Mac opined that the company would issue its own statement later.

Apple’s initial silence on the subject of net neutrality was made more curious by a Wall Street Journal report in March that Apple was engaged in talks with Comcast CMCSA to build a new TV service that would run on an Apple device but use Comcast’s cable infrastructure to avoid Internet slow-downs. If true, this would be seen by some as a violation of net neutrality itself.

Meanwhile, Internet retailer, Amazon was a signatory to the letter. Amazon, which normally does not take a public position on political topics, agreed with others who saw the FCC’s proposal to divide the Internet into a combination of fast (for a price) and slow lanes as an attempt to deconstruct the concept of net neutrality.

According to Gigaom, other notable tech companies besides Apple also failed to sign the letter. Some of them, of course, could decide to join in later, either based on pressure from the original signers or even as the result of public pressure from consumers and stockholders.

FCC spokesman Neil Grace told the Huffington Post that FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler did not plan to delay a May 15 vote on the new rules.

Grace said, "Moving forward will allow the American people to review and comment on the proposed plan without delay, and bring us one step closer to putting rules on the books to protect consumers and entrepreneurs online."

At the time of this writing, Jim Probasco had no position in any mentioned securities.