Verizon CEO Wimps Out In Google Attack

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg wimped out yesterday, backing off his company's increasingly vitriolic attacks on Google. A few days ago, a top Verizon honcho said Google "drinks spiked Kool-Aid." Yesterday, Seidenberg tried to tone down the rhetoric, saying, "I love what Google is doing." But he still wants to extort money from the Web site. Seidenberg told Forbes Magazine "I love what Google is doing to the extent that they generate more use of broadband."

I'm sure that's the case. After all, the more that people want to use broadband, the better it is for Verizon. Google is the best thing that ever happened to broadband providers like Verizon.

But Seidenberg still said that he wants the feds to allow Verizon to charge Google extortion money if Google wants adequate bandwidth from Verizon. So while the rhetoric may have changed, the message is the same.

A few days ago, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel John Thorne said that Google "drinks spiked Kool-Aid" because it doesn't want to pay extortion money to get extra bandwidth from Verizon.

Forbes asked Seidenberg about Thorne's statements, and he told the magazine that Thorne was "absolutely correct in describing the overall situation."So all we have is a change in tone. The bottom line: Verizon is still asking for extortion money, but in a nicer way.