Re: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET
The controversy is when companies put restrictions on bandwidth intensive applications such as Bit Torrent or video streaming. Then file sharers are shamed about intellectual property use and video streamers are ridiculed as porno crazed weirdos. I have nearly exceeded my two gig data allotment just by listening to high quality audio from Spotify on my commute home. Kelly On 11/23/17, Evan Reese <ment...@dslextreme.com> wrote: > I have to wonder how "free" the market is when bigger companies can create > barriers to entry for potential competitors. > And, I've read from more than one source that Americans pay more for > broadband connectivity and generally have lower bandwidth than most other > developed countries. > Markets are great, but it takes regulatory authorities to ensure that > markets really are free. If you think big companies really believe in free > markets, you are naive. > Evan > > -Original Message- > From: Donald Moore > Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2017 9:41 AM > To: viphone@googlegroups.com > Subject: RE: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET > > Amazing the Chicken Little worry about EVERYTHING coming out of Washington > currently. If ISPS are taking a hit for high use companies, everyone else > is subsidizing the operation whether or not you're actually using the > service. In general, the free market really does work best. > > > > -Original Message- > From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf > Of M. Taylor > Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 9:09 PM > To: viphone@googlegroups.com > Subject: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET > > Net neutrality repeal means your internet may never be the same The FCC is > about to pull the rug out from under Obama-era rules on net neutrality. That > > could be just the start of a whole new internet experience for you. > November 22, 2017 8:42 AM PST > > In May, protesters spoke up after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai introduced his > proposal to roll back net neutrality rules. > Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images > FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants the US government to stop "micromanaging the > internet." > On Tuesday he introduced a proposal to repeal the controversial 2015 net > neutrality rules that prevented broadband companies from blocking or slowing > > down access to websites or services. > While many people agree with the basic principles of net neutrality, these > specific rules have been a lightning rod for controversy. That's because in > > order to get the rules to hold up in court, the FCC reclassified broadband > networks so that they fell under the same strict regulations that govern > telephone networks. > Pai has called the Obama-era rules "heavy-handed" and "a mistake," and he > argues that they've deterred innovation and depressed investment in building > > and expanding broadband networks. To set things right, he says, he's taking > > the FCC back a "light touch" approach to regulation. > A draft copy of Pai's repeal proposal (PDF) was released to the public on > Wednesday. Don't feel like you have to plow through all the bureaucratic and > > technical complexities to get a handle on the situation. We've assembled > this FAQ to put everything in plain English. > What is net neutrality again? > Net neutrality is the principle that all traffic on the internet should be > treated equally, regardless of whether you're checking Facebook, posting > pictures to Instagram or streaming movies from Netflix or Amazon. It also > means that companies like AT, which is trying to buy Time Warner, or > Comcast, which owns NBC Universal, can't favor their own content over a > competitor's content. > So what just happened? > Pai, who became FCC chairman after President Trump took office, on Tuesday > published a proposal to eliminate the current net neutrality regulations, > which prohibit broadband providers from blocking or slowing down traffic and > > ban them from offering so-called fast lanes to companies willing to pay > extra to reach consumers more quickly than competitors. > But the proposal's most significant change is to strip the FCC of its > authority to regulate broadband and instead shift that responsibility to the > > Federal Trade Commission. Under the 2015 rules, the FCC reclassified > broadband as a utility, which gave it the authority to regulate broadband > infrastructure much as it did the old telephone network. The proposal would > > strip away that classification. > Does this mean no one will be policing the internet? > Pai hopes internet service providers will publicly commit to putting "no > blocking" and "no throttlin
Re: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET
I have to wonder how "free" the market is when bigger companies can create barriers to entry for potential competitors. And, I've read from more than one source that Americans pay more for broadband connectivity and generally have lower bandwidth than most other developed countries. Markets are great, but it takes regulatory authorities to ensure that markets really are free. If you think big companies really believe in free markets, you are naive. Evan -Original Message- From: Donald Moore Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2017 9:41 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET Amazing the Chicken Little worry about EVERYTHING coming out of Washington currently. If ISPS are taking a hit for high use companies, everyone else is subsidizing the operation whether or not you're actually using the service. In general, the free market really does work best. -Original Message- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of M. Taylor Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 9:09 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET Net neutrality repeal means your internet may never be the same The FCC is about to pull the rug out from under Obama-era rules on net neutrality. That could be just the start of a whole new internet experience for you. November 22, 2017 8:42 AM PST In May, protesters spoke up after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai introduced his proposal to roll back net neutrality rules. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants the US government to stop "micromanaging the internet." On Tuesday he introduced a proposal to repeal the controversial 2015 net neutrality rules that prevented broadband companies from blocking or slowing down access to websites or services. While many people agree with the basic principles of net neutrality, these specific rules have been a lightning rod for controversy. That's because in order to get the rules to hold up in court, the FCC reclassified broadband networks so that they fell under the same strict regulations that govern telephone networks. Pai has called the Obama-era rules "heavy-handed" and "a mistake," and he argues that they've deterred innovation and depressed investment in building and expanding broadband networks. To set things right, he says, he's taking the FCC back a "light touch" approach to regulation. A draft copy of Pai's repeal proposal (PDF) was released to the public on Wednesday. Don't feel like you have to plow through all the bureaucratic and technical complexities to get a handle on the situation. We've assembled this FAQ to put everything in plain English. What is net neutrality again? Net neutrality is the principle that all traffic on the internet should be treated equally, regardless of whether you're checking Facebook, posting pictures to Instagram or streaming movies from Netflix or Amazon. It also means that companies like AT, which is trying to buy Time Warner, or Comcast, which owns NBC Universal, can't favor their own content over a competitor's content. So what just happened? Pai, who became FCC chairman after President Trump took office, on Tuesday published a proposal to eliminate the current net neutrality regulations, which prohibit broadband providers from blocking or slowing down traffic and ban them from offering so-called fast lanes to companies willing to pay extra to reach consumers more quickly than competitors. But the proposal's most significant change is to strip the FCC of its authority to regulate broadband and instead shift that responsibility to the Federal Trade Commission. Under the 2015 rules, the FCC reclassified broadband as a utility, which gave it the authority to regulate broadband infrastructure much as it did the old telephone network. The proposal would strip away that classification. Does this mean no one will be policing the internet? Pai hopes internet service providers will publicly commit to putting "no blocking" and "no throttling" commitments in their terms of service. That would make these actions enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission, which can take action against companies that violate contracts with consumers or that participate in anticompetitive and fraudulent activity. Is the FTC equipped to make sure broadband companies don't harm consumers? Yes and no. The FTC already oversees consumer protection and competition for the whole economy. But this also means the agency is swamped. And because the FTC isn't focused exclusively on the telecommunications sector, it's unlikely the agency can deliver the same kind of scrutiny that the FCC would. More importantly, the FTC also lacks the FCC's rulemaking authority. This means FTC enforcement extends only to companies' voluntary public commitments or violations of an
Re: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET
History has shown that free market needs some help. You only need to look to the beginning of the 20th century for examples of this. On 11/23/2017 08:41 AM, Donald Moore wrote: Amazing the Chicken Little worry about EVERYTHING coming out of Washington currently. If ISPS are taking a hit for high use companies, everyone else is subsidizing the operation whether or not you're actually using the service. In general, the free market really does work best. -Original Message- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of M. Taylor Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 9:09 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET Net neutrality repeal means your internet may never be the same The FCC is about to pull the rug out from under Obama-era rules on net neutrality. That could be just the start of a whole new internet experience for you. November 22, 2017 8:42 AM PST In May, protesters spoke up after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai introduced his proposal to roll back net neutrality rules. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants the US government to stop "micromanaging the internet." On Tuesday he introduced a proposal to repeal the controversial 2015 net neutrality rules that prevented broadband companies from blocking or slowing down access to websites or services. While many people agree with the basic principles of net neutrality, these specific rules have been a lightning rod for controversy. That's because in order to get the rules to hold up in court, the FCC reclassified broadband networks so that they fell under the same strict regulations that govern telephone networks. Pai has called the Obama-era rules "heavy-handed" and "a mistake," and he argues that they've deterred innovation and depressed investment in building and expanding broadband networks. To set things right, he says, he's taking the FCC back a "light touch" approach to regulation. A draft copy of Pai's repeal proposal (PDF) was released to the public on Wednesday. Don't feel like you have to plow through all the bureaucratic and technical complexities to get a handle on the situation. We've assembled this FAQ to put everything in plain English. What is net neutrality again? Net neutrality is the principle that all traffic on the internet should be treated equally, regardless of whether you're checking Facebook, posting pictures to Instagram or streaming movies from Netflix or Amazon. It also means that companies like AT, which is trying to buy Time Warner, or Comcast, which owns NBC Universal, can't favor their own content over a competitor's content. So what just happened? Pai, who became FCC chairman after President Trump took office, on Tuesday published a proposal to eliminate the current net neutrality regulations, which prohibit broadband providers from blocking or slowing down traffic and ban them from offering so-called fast lanes to companies willing to pay extra to reach consumers more quickly than competitors. But the proposal's most significant change is to strip the FCC of its authority to regulate broadband and instead shift that responsibility to the Federal Trade Commission. Under the 2015 rules, the FCC reclassified broadband as a utility, which gave it the authority to regulate broadband infrastructure much as it did the old telephone network. The proposal would strip away that classification. Does this mean no one will be policing the internet? Pai hopes internet service providers will publicly commit to putting "no blocking" and "no throttling" commitments in their terms of service. That would make these actions enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission, which can take action against companies that violate contracts with consumers or that participate in anticompetitive and fraudulent activity. Is the FTC equipped to make sure broadband companies don't harm consumers? Yes and no. The FTC already oversees consumer protection and competition for the whole economy. But this also means the agency is swamped. And because the FTC isn't focused exclusively on the telecommunications sector, it's unlikely the agency can deliver the same kind of scrutiny that the FCC would. More importantly, the FTC also lacks the FCC's rulemaking authority. This means FTC enforcement extends only to companies' voluntary public commitments or violations of antitrust law. Unless broadband and wireless carriers commit in writing to basic net neutrality principles, the FTC can only enforce antitrust issues, which must meet a high legal standard. What about internet fast lanes? Will the FCC ask companies to voluntarily commit to not offering paid prioritization? No, the FCC proposal removes the ban that keeps a service provider from charging an internet service, like Netflix or YouTube, a fee for delivering its service faster to customers than competitors can. Net neutrality supporters argue that
RE: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET
Amazing the Chicken Little worry about EVERYTHING coming out of Washington currently. If ISPS are taking a hit for high use companies, everyone else is subsidizing the operation whether or not you're actually using the service. In general, the free market really does work best. -Original Message- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of M. Taylor Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 9:09 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Net neutrality repeal: What it means for you - CNET Net neutrality repeal means your internet may never be the same The FCC is about to pull the rug out from under Obama-era rules on net neutrality. That could be just the start of a whole new internet experience for you. November 22, 2017 8:42 AM PST In May, protesters spoke up after FCC Chairman Ajit Pai introduced his proposal to roll back net neutrality rules. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants the US government to stop "micromanaging the internet." On Tuesday he introduced a proposal to repeal the controversial 2015 net neutrality rules that prevented broadband companies from blocking or slowing down access to websites or services. While many people agree with the basic principles of net neutrality, these specific rules have been a lightning rod for controversy. That's because in order to get the rules to hold up in court, the FCC reclassified broadband networks so that they fell under the same strict regulations that govern telephone networks. Pai has called the Obama-era rules "heavy-handed" and "a mistake," and he argues that they've deterred innovation and depressed investment in building and expanding broadband networks. To set things right, he says, he's taking the FCC back a "light touch" approach to regulation. A draft copy of Pai's repeal proposal (PDF) was released to the public on Wednesday. Don't feel like you have to plow through all the bureaucratic and technical complexities to get a handle on the situation. We've assembled this FAQ to put everything in plain English. What is net neutrality again? Net neutrality is the principle that all traffic on the internet should be treated equally, regardless of whether you're checking Facebook, posting pictures to Instagram or streaming movies from Netflix or Amazon. It also means that companies like AT, which is trying to buy Time Warner, or Comcast, which owns NBC Universal, can't favor their own content over a competitor's content. So what just happened? Pai, who became FCC chairman after President Trump took office, on Tuesday published a proposal to eliminate the current net neutrality regulations, which prohibit broadband providers from blocking or slowing down traffic and ban them from offering so-called fast lanes to companies willing to pay extra to reach consumers more quickly than competitors. But the proposal's most significant change is to strip the FCC of its authority to regulate broadband and instead shift that responsibility to the Federal Trade Commission. Under the 2015 rules, the FCC reclassified broadband as a utility, which gave it the authority to regulate broadband infrastructure much as it did the old telephone network. The proposal would strip away that classification. Does this mean no one will be policing the internet? Pai hopes internet service providers will publicly commit to putting "no blocking" and "no throttling" commitments in their terms of service. That would make these actions enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission, which can take action against companies that violate contracts with consumers or that participate in anticompetitive and fraudulent activity. Is the FTC equipped to make sure broadband companies don't harm consumers? Yes and no. The FTC already oversees consumer protection and competition for the whole economy. But this also means the agency is swamped. And because the FTC isn't focused exclusively on the telecommunications sector, it's unlikely the agency can deliver the same kind of scrutiny that the FCC would. More importantly, the FTC also lacks the FCC's rulemaking authority. This means FTC enforcement extends only to companies' voluntary public commitments or violations of antitrust law. Unless broadband and wireless carriers commit in writing to basic net neutrality principles, the FTC can only enforce antitrust issues, which must meet a high legal standard. What about internet fast lanes? Will the FCC ask companies to voluntarily commit to not offering paid prioritization? No, the FCC proposal removes the ban that keeps a service provider from charging an internet service, like Netflix or YouTube, a fee for delivering its service faster to customers than competitors can. Net neutrality supporters argue that this especially hurts startups, which can't afford such fees. But Pai believes the current rules are too restrictive. He wants to make sure broadband companies can
