The idea of "Net Neutrality" ( as some would have it) may be about to die in Congress, paving the way for Internet network operators to charge content owners for access to greater bandwidth, but
activists won't let the issue go without a fight. According to CNET, dozens of organizations ranging from the American Library Association to the conservative Gun Owners of America group to
uber-liberal Movon.org have launched a new Web site under the moniker "Save the Internet." During a conference call (which CNET called a "pep rally") the campaign's director declared: "On one side you
have the public...on the other side you have the nation's largest telephone and cable companies, who have aligned with some in Congress to strip the Internet of the First Amendment." At issue is the
so-called "fast-lane" telecom providers are setting aside for high-bandwidth requests like streaming video, for which they plan to charge a fee, to help pay for the exorbitant cost of upgrading their
networks. The providers swear they're not going to abuse their power, arguing that it would be in their best interest not to, since network operators have many competitors. The worry is that the
biggest operators, like Comcast and AT&T, will continue to buy their way through the ISP market until there are only a few providers out there so they can effectively set their own rules. I think that
fear is over-inflated because there will always be a sufficient number of ISP alternatives--including metropolitan area networks--to keep larger ISPs from abusing their privilege. The current reform
bill defers to the FCC's provisions for Net Neutrality with wrist-slapping fines, and is expected to pass when it comes to committee vote this week.
Read the whole story at CNet News »
