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A Reprieve for Net Neutrality
Do you trust telecommunications companies?
1/18/2007
Frankly, we'd prefer that if we pay "extra" for something on the Web that as much of what we pay as possible go to the content provider. Of course, that's the preference of the content providers, too, which is why Google and others actually fought the telecommunications giants to a lobbying standstill in 2006.
We had hopes that the tide might turn for real when, in November, it became clear that the Democratic Party would take over control of the House and Senate in 2007. Now that that has occurred: The Internet Freedom Preservation Act was introduced in the Senate recently by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) and Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), among others.
"The success of the Internet has been its openness and the ability of anyone anywhere in this country to go on the Internet and reach the world," Dorgan was quoted in news reports as saying. "If the big interests who control the pipes become gatekeepers who erect tolls, it will have a significant impact on the Internet as we know it." (Read more.)
The Senators' bill would require the companies to allow us to buy "network service services" without having to pay for other "bundled services," and it would require them to treat all Web content providers equally.
Telecommunications company defenders argue that net neutrality will slow the development of all sorts of broadband applications and services that they would be perfectly willing to develop if they could just charge more for tiered networks.
I think, now, that we will get a chance to see what gets slowed down or not by the continuance of the net neutrality status quo. The at-least-temporary nail in the coffin for the telecommunications companies' efforts comes from the FCC, which did us all a great favor.
You see, AT&T, perhaps the most vigorous of the Big Four telecommunications companies in pushing for the end of net neutrality, has been trying to buy up BellSouth. Before it gave its permission for the purchase, the FCC worked out a deal whereby AT&T agreed to a two-year moratorium on its efforts. (Read more.)
Not every net neutrality proponent is happy with the entirety of the agreement. (See this link for more.) But it looks like we are getting two more years to see whether or not more great things happen in the net neutrality environment ... or not.
There are some things in life that I am not particularly optimistic about right now, but I do expect to continue waking up in the morning, logging on, and being very happy about all the new, nifty, cool things I can do on the Web.
About the author: Terry Calhoun is Director of Communications and Publications for the Society
for College and University Planning (SCUP). You can contact him through CT's IT Trends forum by clicking here. View more articles by Terry Calhoun.
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