As we told you yesterday, the FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is working on a plan to reclassify broadband Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as so-called "common carriers," which allows the FCC to exact some controls over network neutrality.

"U-Verse" is AT&T's competitive service to triple-play (TV, Phone, Internet) service offered by cable companies.  U-Verse began in earnest in June of 2006, and as of December of 2009 they had 2 million actual customers. By comparison, Comcast has on the order of 15 million. AT&T has spent millions building, marketing and operating U-Verse systems in many of its market areas, but is having a rough time gaining subscribers.

AT&T is no slouch when it comes to getting laws written to suit its business plans. Although it failed at the national level to overhaul local Cable TV franchising practices, it has succeeded in every individual state where it has tried, Tennessee included. But even political success does not yield customers, AT&T can't force customers to not ignore it.

Now, AT&T is telling the Wall Street Journal that if the FCC does, indeed, pass net neutrality provisions in the national Community Act, it might "... have to re-evaluate whether we put shovels in the ground," AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson is quoted as saying. In other words, stop expanding U-Verse.

Check out this article from ARS Technica and you'll be better able to judge for yourself exactly why at&t is acting like it wants to take its ball-shaped logo and go home.