NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Comcast likes the FCC Broadband Plan (and other reactions)
It's interesting that the FCC is modeled on the ICC. It is managing the
trucks (and railroads) not roads. The rationale for managing railroads and
trucks is that the operators can exert control and we need protection
against dysfunctional markets.
The arguments is that unlike roads it's very difficult to force all packets
past the equivalent of "weighing" stations, especially when there is
encryption.
So a switch to a road model should greatly decrease the ability to meddle in
traffic.
-----Original Message-----
From: nnsquad-bounces+nnsquad=bobf.frankston.com@nnsquad.org
[mailto:nnsquad-bounces+nnsquad=bobf.frankston.com@nnsquad.org] On Behalf Of
Tony Aiuto
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 14:33
To: Lauren Weinstein; nnsquad@nnsquad.org
Subject: [ NNSquad ] Re: Comcast likes the FCC Broadband Plan (and other
reactions)
The thing to stress is that government funded internet should be no
different than government funded roads. Both are many-to-many
interconnection methods, whereas broadcast radio and TV are
one-to-many. The bits carried on the net are just stuff in a truck.
Existing commerce laws should provide the start of the model for
what we can carry in that truck. (And I say "start of the model"
because our state-based commerce framework is a little brain dead
to begin with.)
OTOH, I would love to see it a Federal crime to physically attack
the infrastructure, by let's say, digging up a fiber trunk with a back-hoe.
:-)
[ The road analogy is utterly reasonable and logical.
However, given Congress' previous attempts to control Internet
content (and some of these are not "completely [all] dead" in
the "Miracle Max" sense - http://bit.ly/bNHRaE [YouTube]), and
the political popularity of content and other Internet controls
in law enforcement and political spheres, I would personally not
want to bet our civil liberties on "reasonable and logical"
necessarily winning out over "politically expedient" when
Congress in general and taxpayer funding in particular are involved.
-- Lauren Weinstein
NNSquad Moderater ]
On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 4:43 AM, George Ou
<george_ou@lanarchitect.net>wrote:
> " Once taxpayer funds are involved, Weinstein added, there will likely
> be significant pressure on legislators to control content, just as
> pro-life activists fought to prevent public funding of abortions."
>
> I really don't think we can stress this point enough. The current
Internet
> is like Sirius, and there will be a lot of pressure to make the government
> funded Internet be "clean" like radio.
>
>
>
> George Ou
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nnsquad-bounces+george_ou=lanarchitect.net@nnsquad.org
> [mailto:nnsquad-bounces+george_ou <nnsquad-bounces%2Bgeorge_ou>=
> lanarchitect.net@nnsquad.org] On Behalf Of
> Lauren Weinstein
> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 6:08 PM
> To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
> Subject: [ NNSquad ] Comcast likes the FCC Broadband Plan (and other
> reactions)
>
>
> Comcast likes the FCC Broadband Plan (and other reactions)
>
> http://bit.ly/9xWxw3 (Broadcasting & Cable)
>
> The FCC Proposes, and Congress Disposes. In other words,
> assuming that anything Congress actually does in these
> regards will necessarily resemble the FCC Plan, is, uh,
> highly problematic.
>
> A number of people having problems accessing the associated site have
> asked me to quote my comments from the NewsFactor article. Here's the
> related text:
>
> ...
>
> "While activists for greater online access praise the FCC's interest
> in the availability of more spectrum, some see more regulation as
> potentially onerous and fear the program will be bogged down in
> Congress in the same fashion as President Barack Obama's health-care
> initiatives."
>
> A Contentious Issue
>
> "Getting part of the spectrum back from TV broadcasters is going to
> be very contentious and presumably lead to court action for many
> years," said Lauren Weinstein, cofounder of People for Internet
> Responsibility and an activist with several similar grassroots
> groups. "Anything Congress does in this area that is not trivial is
> going to be challenged."
>
> "Everyone agrees we need better access to broadband, just as everyone
> agrees we need better health care," Weinstein said. "But when you
> get down to the nitty-gritty ... you will find results hinging on
> specific issues of comparatively narrow focus."
>
> Once taxpayer funds are involved, Weinstein added, there will likely
> be significant pressure on legislators to control content, just as
> pro-life activists fought to prevent public funding of abortions.
>
> "People will say how can you spend taxpayer dollars on porn or on
> [unauthorized] downloading of movies?" he predicted.
>
> ...
>
> --Lauren--
> NNSquad Moderator
>
>