FCC's Broadband Regulation Push: Pros and Cons

pcworld.com:

Wounded from a court decision that stopped the government from regulating Internet service providers, the Federal Communications Commission has announced a new way to gain some control over the broadband industry. The proposal would let the FCC treat Internet transmissions like telephone communications, entailing more oversight, but would prevent government control over Web services, applications and e-commerce sites. Any move by the FCC is bound to draw cheers and jeers, but here are some of the pros and cons from both sides:

Read the whole story: pcworld.com

Comments

[Emucratic]

01:46 AM on 05/10/2010

Just make net neutrality a permanent law. No more debates.

[thirdcloud]

10:15 PM on 05/08/2010

Rewrite of Communications Law? We need to have consensus about the problem(s) before we can have consensus on the solution

[ibsteve2u]

06:00 PM on 05/08/2010

Without net neutrality, big ISPs and carriers could shape internet television and movie delivery out of existence, thereby maintaining the monopoly they have in so many areas of the country. Or perhaps they might sell that shaping as a service.

Without net neutrality, a politically-inspired mega-carrier or cable company could "shape" traffic - to include political donations - to and from web sites and organizations that they did not approve of out of existence. Or perhaps they might sell that shaping as a service.

Without net neutrality, broadband ISPs might choose to shape the SIP traffic for that phone line you're paying $19.95 a year into the e-netherworld...thereby ensuring that your alternative to buying their $39.95/month phone service is only the even more expense copper that your local telco provides. Or perhaps they might sell that shaping as a service.

See, those stocks rose on the promise of an unbreakable content delivery monopoly hand-delivered by the courts....they declined in response to the threat of the free market.

[Angelus2007]

08:05 PM on 05/08/2010

But even with net neutrality, there is nothing from stopping the ISPs from charging you for how much you use rather than speed. So image

[digitalprophet]

05:21 PM on 05/08/2010

I am happy some steps are being taken towards net neutrality. It is something that badly needs to be done.

The problem they will face apart from the billions of dollars broadband providers will have to fight it every step of the way is hidden in the bad way of wording used in the article: "the Federal Communications Commission has announced a new way to gain some control over the broadband industry."

A government entity gaining control over an industry scare the bejesus out of conservatives. I mean I am sure Republicans would rather businesses keep getting richer and abusing the general public anyway, but your Average Joe(the plumber) hates the government meddling with anything. I really wish people would get educated on issues and understand why oversight is so important.

[Robert2Parker]

04:29 PM on 05/08/2010

I'm tired of big business running everyones lives; America is full of fools who hop, skip and jump to the corporate drums that only line the pockets of the VERY FEW- who in essence are skimming off of the public's TRUST. WHY?????

[digitalprophet]

05:23 PM on 05/08/2010

Yeah.. read my comment I made just after yours.. A lot of Americans are blissfully ignorant about how greedy corporations are constantly scheming to get more money doing less for the consumer. The lack of net neutrality is another giant, glimmering light bulb(shaped like a dollar sign) popping up over the heads of broadband providers' heads. If we don't stop it before it starts, we could be in for some really crappy times.