FTC Abandons Net Neutrality

[Aaron]

I'm not really sure what this means, but it doesn't sound good. Maybe someone could help explain it to me.

This is bad, bad news for all of us…

vnunet.com: (h/t Scarecrow)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to abandon net neutrality and allow telecoms companies to charge websites for access.

The FTC said in a report that, despite popular support for net neutrality, it was minded to let the market sort out the issue.

This means that the organisation will not stand in the way of companies using differential pricing to make sure that some websites can be viewed more quickly than others. The report also counsels against net neutrality legislation.

Information Week via Save The Internet:

The news story about the FTC report notes that “the FTC sided with high-speed Internet providers such as AT&T and Verizon,” and trotted out once again hollow justifications like “such rules could stifle innovation” and “”This report recommends that policy makers proceed with caution in the evolving, dynamic industry of broadband Internet access, which generally is moving toward more - not less - competition,” which it probably didn’t even think up itself, but copied from industry propaganda.[..]

Technological innovation in broadband access is a threat to corporate profits, and the FTC report comes down on the side not of the public interest but of the private interests.

As a government policy, this isn’t working. Communication Workers of America union puts it this way:

Our reliance on market forces, deregulation, and inadequate governmental programs has not served us well. We invest relatively less on communications; we are charged more for slower speeds; millions encounter a significant digital divide based on income and geography, and unionized jobs with good wages and benefits are being replaced by low-wage jobs with less training and higher turnover.

Afraid of the potential stifling of information to you? Good. Then go to Save The Internet and see what you can do to fight. There are literally only days left for you to get your voice heard.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/0...et-neutrality/

[helli3yte]

basically it says that there is more competition and there will be a divided peoples using different internet providers. blah blah blah, more money to spend blah blah.

[dialog_gvf]

Net neutrality is the idea that all packets of traffic across the net treated equally. Abandoning it can mean that certain interests can pay for their packets to get preferential treatment, and that could mean your packets would be held up.

Now, that said, there is something to be said about generalized non-neutrality where a type of data (e.g. TV or audio) packet will get preference (that can be lied about, which is why it hasn't been done yet). But, the idea that preference can be paid for across the entire Internet seems to defeat the idea of the Internet entirely.

Gary

[GasCat]

I wouldn't worry about it unless you use the internet

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by GasCat

I wouldn't worry about it unless you use the internet

I should be good then. It's not like I spend over 5 hours a day online.
Really, i'm on that much.

[MrBogey]

The internet sucks for a lot of the things people try to use it for. Tiering is supposed to streamline the load a lot of tasks tend to put on a network. For those who want to tier neutrality hinders it. To those who just want a lot of bandwidth and don't care about the resources expended by the network then tiering is bad.

Companies that make their cash on content tend to be for neutrality. Companies that tend to make their money from network access tend to like tiering.

[jorg]

net nutality is bad imagain if every ones packets got treated qualy, it means that that life saving information you just sent tpo your uncle in japan will have to travvel just as slow as every one on your street that donwloads the latest porno. i think it a bad idea i also think that if you need fast internet becuase you know your sending important infomation then you should have the right to pay 10$ more a months so your packets get high priority then the packets of some one donwloading teh simpons or more comenly porn