Telecom companies want Federally enforced monopoly over content


Taking away net neutrality and turning the internet commons into private property
I haven't talked much about COPE, otherwise known as the Communications, Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act.

The major telecommunications companies want monopoly power over the internet. It takes government action for any company to gain a monopoly.

Right now the ISP companies control bandwidth, but not content. If you pay for a dial up connection, you have a slower connection than high-speed, but from your viewpoint it takes about the same time to connect to Google as it does the New York Times. The ISPs want the power to charge for the amount of bandwidth that is used, and rather than going after you, they want to hit the content providers.

So for example a company that provides video clips would have to pay a premium to the ISPs for the end user (that's you) to get the content at the best speed, or even at all.

If this passes, expect a lot of the "free content" to vanish from the web because it will be sent to the slow lane or blocked entirely.

The problem is that the internet up until now has been treated as commons. If I had the money to bankroll a high speed site, then anyone with access to the internet should be able to get to it at the maximum possible speed, limited only by the speed of their connection, not mine. And if an ISP doesn't approve of what I write, they shouldn't be able to block my information from their customers.

Of course, this assumes I play by the rules. If I use my website to take control of someone's computer to spread spam, viruses, or trojans, yes, I should be punished and the ISP should block my access to their customers.

This isn't like the grocery store, that is private property. I know that walking in, just as I know that some companies have paid to have their products places in better spots.

The internet is a commons, not private property.

Please notice the one thing that isn't mentioned is any suggestion that the end user (you) pay additional money if you download more. They know that their customers would complain, and rightfully so after all that advertising proclaiming "unlimited internet."

So instead the ISPs want a legally enforced monopoly. And if content providers don't like it, tough.

Another thing that no one is talking about is that the access fees would be passed on to you if everything you buy over the web.

Here's one of the better editorials I have seen so far.

Just remember, they want to take away your choice.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Thu - May 11, 2006 at 04:37 AM  Tag


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