The FCC appears to have coordinated its public message regarding 'net neutrality' with Free Press, a left wing non-profit organization seeking to reform the media, according to e-mails released Thursday.
Supporters of 'net neutrality', like Free Press, think equal access to the internet is a "civil right" and that service providers should be prohibited from charging certain prices for certain speeds. When providers have this kind of control, they say, customers in weaker coverage areas get stuck with weaker service. Opponents of 'net neutrality' say that if service is regulated in this way then content will soon be regulated as well.
In April 2010, a federal appeals court ruled that the FCC did not have any authority to regulate the internet in this way, however the government agency voted to move forward with its 'net neutrality' program in December, just a few months later.
2 comments:
Let me get this straight - those working to oppose Net Neutrality want to give corporations the legal ability to deny paying customers content those paying customers wish to see. And you're working FOR that ability?
When I pay Verizon my DSL bill every month, I don't want Verizon being able to tell me, "Oh, Netflix doesn't pay us any money, so you can't use that service." Or, "Well, Bing is paying us a fee, so you can't use Google."
Because without Net Neutrality, that's what's starting to happen. Comm companies are shutting off access to websites they don't like, and it's just going to get worse.
I've heard of voters voting against their own economic interests before, but this is ridiculous - you're advocating giving companies the ability to screw you out of services you've paid for. Amazing.
Anon 0829 -
If what you are saying was true, I would be a proponent. However, you know that "net neutrality" isn't as simple as your little "kumbaya" sound bite.
NN is anti-competetive. It is the FCC interfering where they have no legal authority to do so. It's the broadband equivalent of telling Boeing that they can't build a plant in SC.
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