NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Computer Science Professor, Former FCC Official Warns Against Net Neutrality
----- Forwarded message from David Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:49:08 -0400 From: David Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Computer Science Professor, Former FCC Official Warns Against Net Neutrality Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: From: "Savage, Christopher" <ChrisSavage@dwt.com> Date: September 27, 2009 8:37:34 PM EDT To: <dave@farber.net> Subject: RE: [IP] [Dewayne-Net] Computer Science Professor, Former FCC Official Warns Against Net Neutrality Dave, For IP if you wish. I have noted here and elsewhere that "Net Neutrality" cannot be implemented as a "rule" (in the sense of a detailed set of forbidden and required actions), but rather, if workable at all, can only be a "principle" to be applied in specific cases. Not that Internet access/transmission providers are common carriers, but this of course dovetails with the common-law obligations of carriers, now embodied in Sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act, to avoid "unreasonable" practices and "unreasonable" discrimination. Not all discrimination -- just "unreasonable" discrimination. At a high level, the problem I am struggling with is that in order to get packets from one "end" of the 'net to the other, they will quite often, if not indeed typically, traverse a number of different networks run by different entities. This means that neither entity at either end point will have a contractual relationship with, or even an opportunity to bargain with, many (or even most) of the networks delivering the packets. This means that the entities with the most interest in avoiding "unreasonable" discrimination will have no direct ability to influence the behavior of the entities carrying the packets. Obviously, this attenuates the ability of market forces to discipline this function. Where you can't count on market forces, it's not crazy to at least consider regulation of some form, is it? Is it your view (or the view of any of your readers) that a even a somewhat gentle bit of binding oversight -- "Sure, manage your networks as you need to, but don't discriminate unreasonably" -- perhaps slightly less ambiguous than "Don't Be Evil" <g> -- would constitute undue regulatory and legal interference with the Internet? Chris S. -----Original Message----- From: David Farber [mailto:dave@farber.net] Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2009 1:28 AM To: ip Subject: [IP] [Dewayne-Net] Computer Science Professor, Former FCC Official Warns Against Net Neutrality Begin forwarded message: From: dewayne@warpspeed.com (Dewayne Hendricks) Date: September 26, 2009 2:38:07 PM EDT To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy@warpspeed.com> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Computer Science Professor, Former FCC Official Warns Against Net Neutrality Computer Science Professor, Former FCC Official Warns Against Net Neutrality <http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/09/computer_science_prof essor_for.html > There are too many lawyers talking about net neutrality and not enough engineers; this was the message by a panel of computer science experts, a law professor and an economist Friday morning. They mostly warned against the potential constraints that net neutrality rules would have on network engineering. David Farber, a professor of computer science and policy at Carnegie Mellon, said the FCC's proposal for new net neutrality rules could hamper innovation on the Web. Farber, who runs a popular e-mail list on technology issues and is a former chief technology officer for the FCC, said that Internet networks have always prioritized certain traffic and that new rules proposed by the Federal Communication Commission to try to stop discrimination on cable, DSL and wireless networks could constrain operators and tech companies from properly managing their networks. Farber, who spoke on a panel about net neutrality at the think tank Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, called the discussions around net neutrality "religious debates" that haven't taken into consideration the technological challenges faced by engineers, particularly those building the next generation of services for mobile broadband. Farber co-penned a piece in 2007 that criticized net neutrality. [snip] RSS Feed: <http://www.warpspeed.com/wordpress> ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----