Today’s Internet embodies a legacy of openness and transparency that has been critical to the network’s success as an engine for creativity, innovation, and economic growth. Imagine an entrepreneur who wants to launch a new website or online service. She faces low barriers to entering the market, in part because broadband Internet access service providers today will not charge her for the right to reach specific users, beyond the fee for connecting to the Internet.
Regulate or don’t regulate?
Try as I might, this debate cannot be boiled down to a “for” or “against”; there are details and nuances that I, not being a lobbyist, will likely never understand. So I approach this from a different tack:
Whom do you trust? The Government or the Companies?
For me, the answer is simple. Neither. And there’s the rub – whom do we trust less?
This is not a new discussion- (see AG in June).
But it’s a conversation that is coming to finally coming to a (possible) conclusion.
What if … this search – “net neutrality” pros and cons – yielded results that someone else wanted you to see? Or more specifically, didn’t include information that others wanted to keep from you?
From Yahoo News:
The US telecom regulator Federal Communications Commission (“FCC) has reportedly voted unanimously for the implementation of the so-called “Net Neutrality regulation, which is aimed at preventing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and cable companies from blocking or restricting access to legal web site contents and applications. If enacted, the open Internet rule, which is presently applicable to wireline networks, will be extended to wireless.
Follow the money. Unfortunately it flows in every direction.
Unfortunately, as with everything political (that shouldn’t be) – some are construing this as a Republican -v- Democrat debate. It’s not.
This debate is a matter of maintaining keeping speech – on the internet specifically, and therefore in general – free.
Open platforms benefit everybody, and naturally will benefit companies like Google more than they will companies like, say, mine. Government’s position is not one of “should;” it is to provide the infrastructure for people and businesses to create their own “should” –
Should Google make a ton of profit? If they’re innovative. Should you make more money? If you work smart enough and have the lines of communication you need.
Leave the interwebs open and transparent.
Click through for Further Reading:
- Are We Ready for Net Neutrality? – The Information & Technology Innovation
- Internet Pioneers Speak Out on Net Neutrality
- AT&T Suggests to 300k Employees to Lobby the FCC (in opposition to regulation)
- FCC Begins Crafting Net Neutrality Regulations
- H.R. 3458 – Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009
- Net neutrality pitting Web giants against state AGs, mayors
- Is Net Neutrality a FCC Trojan Horse?
Joe Loomer
October 25, 2009 at 9:13 am
ROFLMAO – read the speech bubble on your book cover – “covers trucks, delays, and massive, tangled up tubes.” That pretty much covers it all when talking about the Government!
This is more a free speech issue than partisan – you’re spot-on, Jim.
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Benn Rosales
October 25, 2009 at 11:49 am
Get involved and Save the Internet or what you pay to utilize the internet will change dramatically in the hands of big business and taxed at the hands of big government through gigantic loopholes.
Jim, thanks for writing about this issue, this is a fight we may lose if peeps don’t get that it absolutely impacts them.
MIssy Caulk
October 25, 2009 at 7:53 pm
When I saw all the companies that were supporting Net Neutrality that was enough for me.
It is one door we do NOT want to open up for the Government. What’s next?
Ruthmarie Hicks
October 25, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Net neutrality is what we have NOW! I’ve been watching this for some time. Under Bush “free market forces” would have eventually prevailed to change the level playing field we now enjoy. The government prevents the large telecom companies from controlling the speed at which individual traffic moves through its “pipes.” If they were allowed to control the speed of web traffic – for a price of course – can you imagine what it would do to real estate? The big -box brokerages with deep pockets or slick discounters with tons of VC would swat most of us like flies!
Regulation is not a dirty word folks! Regulated capitalism has a future. The free-for-all we’ve got now will end in an American Bolshevik revolution if it is allowed to continue without any checks and balances.