To me, it just seems like this is the culmination of the ISP shakeout that started years ago. Now mom and pop shops are no more, there are only a few large players at least for retail customers (non-fairly large business). And it is time to get deeper into the pockets of customers with additional lubrication provided by legislatures and bureaucrats.
After observation over the years it is pretty plane that the ISPs at some level do traffic shaping, ignore priority tags, etc, etc and seem to give 'favoritism' to those that pay more or have the largest ability to be a source the next quarters profit. Right now, DSL is no offered where I am. Cable is not offered where I am. Propagation delay on satellite makes it in the same realm as dialup. Even dialup is only able to go to 24kbps due to the phone company wires, so I guess the satellite still eeks out a 'win' over our extra slow dialup. So we are dong a shared network thing on the back of a wireless data card from a cell phone company. But I do live in the 'sticks', and folks 3 miles away in almost any direction have DSL and cable available. And yes, I pay my $1/mo (or whatever) like we all are forced to, to 'ensure internet to the under served areas' ... and BTW that money goes directly to the companies that I can't get service from, the best I can tell anyway. Our legislature has prohibited the power company in this area from providing service (like Clarksville does). Of course they get their advice from current providers in the area (that won't provide the service). Now network neutrality? Is it going to be as 'fair' as they say? I am to much of a realist to believe companies, legislative bodies at any level or any bureaucrat until they show me they DO provide service. So far, I am believing that this is just another scheme to allow companies to 'enhance their revenue stream'. An no matter who they extort the money from, the only source of nickels into their revenue stream is from you and me. Companies and other 'providers' that may have to pay just make that another part of their 'cost of doing business', that jacks up the price to you and me for those companies goods and services. I may be unduly cynical, but I have been proven right to many times to believe things the way they are fed to us. Let's all hope I am wrong. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NLUG" group. To post to this group, send email to nlug-talk@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nlug-talk+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en
