There's actually more at stake here than Verizon seems to realize. By putting artificial limits on certain sites, they will show the world (and more importantly Congress) that they have the ability to selectively limit what they can provide to thier customers. Congress in turn will likely go back to asking why providers aren't limiting thier customers access to illegal content such as child pornography like they used to ask in the early 90's. Back then the carriers reasoning was that it would be too expensive, and that they were just "common carriers." In other words they just relay packets, they don't control what's contained in them. Now what they are saying is that if we don't like where some packets are going to or coming from we can limit them selectively. Hence they could no longer claim to be common carriers.
Losing common carrier status would be detrimental to the telcos as the next thing that would happen is law makers would attempt to require them to filter illegal content and businesses like the RIAA would sue them for allowing access to file sharing, warez, and other sites. If the telcos can filter traffic to google, yahoo, or other companies and aren't common carriers then there is no longer reason they can't also filter traffic to other sites. While companies like Verizon and Bell South are talking about extorting money from Google etc they are also running the risk of doing more damage to themselves, and to thier customers, than they realize (or will admit). This particular take on the topic ignores the fact that the customer of verizon and Google are already paying for thier pipes and this would simply be a double charge on companies the companies being extorted. Kyle Dennis Bagley said: > I read the article that was in the Washington Post listing the the vapid > spoutings of John Thorne from Verizon > and frankly it kind of ticked me off to the point I wrote to our two > senators as well as our congressman from Nevada > > Below is the text of the email I sent along with the link to the primary > article on Verizon. > > If you are of a similar opinion - I urge you to also contact your > Representatives and Senators > and let them know what you think about these packets of lies and > Verizon's blatant attempt > at thievery. > > Dennis > > > > As per an article in the Washington post > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/06/AR2006020601624.html > as well as several other publications, it appears the telcos, with > Verizon leading the mob, are poised to attempt to really rip off the > American Public. > > Verizon's John Thorne is holding forth with the bald face lie that > companies such as Google are getting what he calls "a free ride." and > proposes to charge extra fees to such companies. > > Google and all other internet based companies already pay and pay > handsomely for access to the internet. How on earth does that > constitute a free ride? > > We, meaning all users of the internet, must pay for our side of the > access and so do all those businesses. If it were not for those > businesses, most individuals would have no reason to be on the internet > for anything more than messages! > > Verizon is attempting to create an artificial financial bottleneck that > will benefit no one but Verizon and could well stifle the domestic > economic virtues of internet based commerce. > > Please please do what ever you can to prevent this injustice before > serious damage is done. > > Thank you > > Sincerly > > > Dennis R Bagley > _______________________________________________ > RLUG mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.rlug.org/mailman/listinfo/rlug > _______________________________________________ RLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.rlug.org/mailman/listinfo/rlug
