The Future of the Internet
Right now the future of the internet is being decided by Congress. Up until now, the only regulation of the internet has been the stipulation of Network Neutrality, which is one of the things that is now in jeopardy, and the main reason why the internet has been so wildly successful and revolutionary.
Network Neutrality is the main issue, but there are many others within the wide sweeping reform of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that are being discussed now. A thoughtful wrap up of the telecomunications issues on the MSNBC site by Michael Rogers states the following issues; Network Neutrality, National Video Franchising, applying the Universal Service Fund to Broadband, anti-copy digital Flags on purchased Video products, and whether currently unused TV broadcast frequencies known as white space should be opened to WIFI providers (allowing much more competition in broadband.)
It is very important that all of us keep the pressure on our Senators as the Stevens telecommunications bill (S. 2686) comes up for discussion on the Senate floor. In 1996 the Telecomms were granted massive tax incentives in exchange for promises to build out the network– promises they broke. Now they’re making those exact same promises in exchange for video franchises and the end of Network Neutrality, and if they get those “incentives” the need for them to build out that very expensive fiber network will be gone, since they will have created yet another profit machine, and oversight on the industry has been so very minimal.
I don’t hold out much hope for either Arlen Specter or Rick Santorum to come down on the consumer’s side of the issue, since both have already received huge campaign contributions from Comcast, but you can bet that I’ll be dropping them regular emails and letting them know that anyone who comes down on the Telecomm side of this issue will NOT be receiving my vote come November. And if the vote is delayed, I will be voting for the candidates who do not receive campaign funding from the Telecomm and Cable giants.
Where do YOUR Senators stand on Telecommunications Reform? And more importantly, where are their campaign contributions coming from? To find out, click on any of the Senator’s names in this post, and then click Search. Put your Senator’s name in the “politician” box, then click on 2006, and find the link on the left that says “Top Contributors” to see if any of the Telecommunications or Cable Companies are financing your Senator.
Technorati Tags: Network Neutrality, Telecommunications Reform, Campaign Funding, Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Arlen Spector, Senator Rick Santorum, National Video Franchise, White Space, Universal Service Fund
July 13th, 2006 at 8:21 am
[N]et neutrality advocates generally abhor the idea of Internet “fast lanes” in which content providers could ensure priority delivery of their content if they were willing to pay for it. Yet, we know a demand for this general type of service exists. This is one reason people and businesses are willing to pay more for faster Internet connections now.
July 14th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
Discrimination is discrimination, no matter the purpose, and no matter the demand. Also, the track record of the telecomms has been to cry how they need the money to build out the network, whine and cry about it, then, when the politicians give them the money in the form of tax incentives and regulatory largesse which limits their competition, they then declare the dough as profit and don’t put any of it into the thing they promised to do. We were supposed to have this highly vaunted fiber network by now, that’s what the ‘96 telecomm act gave them the dough for. Why would you think they’re going to do differently this time?
July 15th, 2006 at 2:22 am
I m truly fed up with the term “Net Neutrality” like people with the word “Terrorism”, for gawd sake, wat is the real definition of it………..WHAT THE HECK IS IT????
July 15th, 2006 at 10:47 am
Definition of Network Neutrality from Wikipedia.