NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Report shows history of industry efforts to suppress broadband data collection
[ Yes Richard, there are many things consumers don't care about
until they get screwed. Then they care. Big time. It's the job
of regulators to care about the details to help keep consumers
safe and not subject to ripoffs. Do regulators sometimes -- even
often -- fail at this? Yep. But that doesn't change the
dynamic. To suggest that the FCC will be incapable of
understanding design details in the future is the height of
arrogance. To claim that the FCC only needs to know about
measured performance of critical infrastructure such as
broadband, is like saying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission only
needs to know the rated power output of nuclear power stations. Utter bullshit, Richard. I can't think of a polite English word
that is sufficiently descriptive. Sorry about that, gang. -- Lauren Weinstein
NNSquad Moderator ]The fact remains, Lauren, that disclosure requirements can be very onerous on capitalist firms, and for that reason there are various paperwork reduction laws that limit the amount of information the government can demand of them. The government bureaucrat loves forms and data, and often overlooks the fact that it takes time and money to comply with every fishing expedition that some member of the bureaucracy may want to engage in.
Consumers of course have a right to know what level of service an ISP will provide for the money the consumer pays; the means by which the ISP provides the service is nobody's business, however.
[ "The means by which the ISP provides the service is nobody's
business?" Fascinating. A most remarkable statement you make
there Richard, since it's impossible to imagine how any
regulatory authorities or independent observers could possibly
make educated assessments of the adequacy, suitability,
reliability, and other key aspects of such important resources
without knowing quite a bit indeed about "the means of
providing service" -- unless we're willing to just take ISPs'
word for it all on some sort of a "Mystery Date" basis. We're
talking about critical infrastructure that is -- or will be -- the underpinning of virtually our entire communications
instrumentality, not the means by which bowling pins are
untangled by automatic pin spotters!
-- Lauren Weinstein NNSquad Moderator ]
RB
On 3/13/2010 10:39 AM, Michael Turk wrote:I fully agree that network management practices should be more transparent. Power companies carefully guard information about their customers, too - especially in states like Virginia where you can choose competing power companies.
But their infrastructure data is also provided to the Department of Energy - which is a national security agency, unlike the FCC. Classified data in such agencies gets a level of protection well above what the FCC could/would afford it. Even so, DOE and its assets have a reputation for leaking classified intelligence like a sieve.
But either way, that I am aware of, nobody has asked power companies to provide lists of customers, the amount of their monthly bill, and how often power surges cause the lights to flicker. What is aked of ISPs is a level of granularity that should make everyone nervous.
The point about newspapers is they provide circulation numbers, and that's it. That's closer to the utility model that discloses where lines and physical infrastructure are located, but leaves customer and competitive intelligence alone.
[ As much as I honor the newspaper industry and consider it to be a very important part of society, I can't help but consider its situation vis-a-vis that of ISPs, in terms of any "critical infrastructure" considerations, to be utterly orthogonal.
-- Lauren Weinstein NNSquad Moderator ]
-----Original Message-----
From: "Michael Turk"<turk@kungfuquip.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:30:27
To: Lauren Weinstein<lauren@vortex.com>;<nnsquad-bounces+turk=kungfuquip.com@nnsquad.org>;<nnsquad@nnsquad.org>
Subject: [ NNSquad ] Re: Report shows history of industry efforts to suppressbroadband data collection
Delivering the news is a critical service in society. Has anyone demanded that the Washington Post provide a detailed map of all of its customers and advertisers, along with specific information on what they pay, the length of their subscription, the terms of their ad contracts, and specific guarantees for what time the paper will be delivered.
The data represents competitive intelligence in a business that brings in billions of dollars a year. It's being requested by a government that, as you just pointed out, has proven too inept to give away free money.
Is it any wonder they would fight handing it over to an agency ill-prepared to protect it? ------Original Message------From: Lauren WeinsteinSender: nnsquad-bounces+turk=kungfuquip.com@nnsquad.orgTo: nnsquad@nnsquad.orgSubject: [ NNSquad ] Report shows history of industry efforts to suppressbroadband data collectionSent: Mar 13, 2010 9:44 AM
[ If we accept the premise (as I certainly do) that ISP access services are increasingly a critical infrastructure, it's hard to see how competitive concerns can be allowed to completely override the public interest in assuring that these access services are appropriately and fairly configured and managed. We don't permit power utilities to keep their important configurations secret from regulators, nor do we allow nuclear plant builders to keep crucial aspects of their designs secret from government to protect their commercial interests.
-- Lauren Weinstein NNSquad Moderator ]
----- Forwarded message from David Farber<dave@farber.net> -----
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:56:36 -0500From: David Farber<dave@farber.net>Subject: [IP] Report shows history of industry efforts to suppress broadband data collectionReply-To: dave@farber.netTo: ip<ip@v2.listbox.com>
Begin forwarded message:
From: dewayne@warpspeed.com (Dewayne Hendricks)Date: March 12, 2010 5:08:10 PM ESTTo: Dewayne-Net Technology List<xyzzy@warpspeed.com>Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Report shows history of industry efforts to suppress broadband data collection
Report shows history of industry efforts to suppress broadband data collectionBy Cecilia KangWashington Post
Days before the Federal Communications Commission presents proposals to bring broadband Internet connections to all U.S. homes, a report shows that major Internet service providers have worked to keep meaningful data on the subject suppressed.
In “Industry Lobby Keeps Public in the Dark About Broadband,” John Dunbar, director of American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop, details a history of industry efforts to prevent regulators from getting information to map what homes are getting service, the prices they pay and the speeds that they are offered.
<http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/03/report_shows_history_of_indust.html>RSS Feed:<http://www.warpspeed.com/wordpress>
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-- Richard Bennett Research Fellow Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Washington, DC