Industry insiders and several other observers have concluded that Google's effort to install servers at cable and telecommunications companies in order to speed up delivery of the search giant's content doesn't contradict its net neutrality. This means Google treats all Web traffic equally by Internet Service Providers. On Monday, Google announced that is has installed servers with “a limited number” of ISPs around the world to help deliver Web pages and videos to users more quickly. This test program went live at the beginning of 2008 and it looks like this speeds up delivery because it enables Google to store its content on servers that are physically much closer to users.

Even so, some newspapers questioned whether this effort undercuts Google's promise to fight for network neutrality. What does network neutrality means? It's a concept that states network providers shouldn't give preferential treatment to traffic based on the source, ownership or destination of the content. Some lawmakers even say that net neutrality is essential to providing a level playing field and insure continued innovation on the Web.

Limelight Networks, a content delivery company that provides similar services to third-party clients, took Google's part in this fight, stating that the company's plan does not violate the concept of net neutrality, and that's because Google is merely adopting technologies that they already use to speed up the delivery of thousands of clients' content on the Internet. Furthermore, Google will use its server in order to improve the delivery of its own Web content.

The company announced that its co-location arrangements with ISPs are non-exclusive, which means any other company could do the same thing. Therefore, they keep the network neutrality. It's very important for Google to secure new revenue streams, and that's because the company must stop its fall in the share price, which has dropped 55% since the beginning of the year. On Monday, the company's shares fell 1.6% to $310.67.