Common carrier >From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search A common carrier is an organization that transports a product or service using its facilities, or those of other carriers, and offers its services to the general public.
Traditionally common carrier means a business that transports people or physical goods. In the 20th century, the term came to refer also to utilities (those transporting some service such as communications or public utilities). The term differs from private carrier, which operates solely for the benefit of one entity and does not offer services to the general public That should end the discussion on common carriers. Any fair minded individual can clearly understand that the sentence "Internet Service Providers generally wish to avoid being classified as a "common carrier" and, so far, have managed to do so." means that ISPs have managed enough political power to prevent their rightful regularity definition as common carriers. But that has nothing to do with the clear fact that they are a common carrier, and if they mess up network neutrality, they will be facing far more regulations to protect the public from any gross violation of unfair business practice. Ruben On Mon, 2006-03-20 at 23:36 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On Mon, 20 Mar 2006, Ruben Safir wrote: > > <snip> > > "common carrier" and, so far, have managed to do so. Before 1996, such > > classification could be helpful in defending a monopolistic position, > > but the main focus of policy has been on competition, so "common > > carrier" status has little value for ISPs, while carrying obligations > > they would rather avoid. The key FCC Order on this point is: IN RE > > FEDERAL-STATE JOINT BOARD ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE, 13 FCC Rcd. 11501 > > (1998), which holds that ISP service (both "retail" and backbone) is an > > "information service" (not subject to common carrier obligations) rather > > than a "telecommunications service" (which might be classified as > > "common carriage"). > So, which part of this is unclear to you, Ruben? ISPs are not common > carriers. Done and done. In the alternate reality, the one you wish you > lived in, they might be, but here on earth, we aren't. > > That should end the discussion at least on this specific subject. > > -- > NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ > Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ > Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
