NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Consumption Based Broadband
folks,
I suspect that at least one version of managed networking would be VPNs. For these, one gets dedicated access to ISP assets to build a virtual private network. Now suppose one wants to allow a residential customer (or a hotel customer) to get access to this VPN over shared access to the Internet. I can see that an ISP might want to offer some kind of premium access to the shared infrastructure for a VPN customer. Personally, if I could get premium access (e.g. higher capacity), I'd like it to apply not only to the VPN but to general Internet use!
vint
On Oct 23, 2009, at 4:32 PM, Keith Dawson wrote:
What sort of laws are in place that would prevent such an arrangement?
Is this covered by the proposed NN regulations?
That is indeed the question, isn't it?
From yesterday's NY Times coverage [*] of the FCC's action:
[*] http://is.gd/4y7M7 [ bits.blogs.nytimes.com ]
Mr. Genachowski, however, offered more questions than answers on what may be the biggest philosophical debate: whether a telecommunications company can give preference to services it offers over those of rivals. Communications companies want to offer services that take advantage of some of the capacity or features of their networks. This might be offering Internet video services, improved voice mail or text-messaging, or faster connections to Internet sites that pay for speedy service.
The commission simply asked for comment on how to define what it calls
"managed services" and what rules should apply to them.
On this issue, Michael J. Copps, one of the Democratic commissioners, argued that Internet service providers should not be able to favor their own products over others.
"The Internet must never be about powerful gatekeepers and walled gardens," he said. "It must always be about the smoothest possible flow of communications among people."
But Mr. McDowell [Republican FCC commissioner] said that such rules would deny consumers the benefits of better services.
"Consumers are telling the marketplace that they don't want networks that operate merely as 'dumb pipes,'" he said. "Sometimes they want the added value and efficiency that comes from intelligence inside networks as well."
In other words, the action that appears to those of us on the pro-NN side of the debate to be the most clearly and patently evil of all, to those on the anti-NN side seems to be simply good common sense.
-- KDawson