NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Some very brief thoughts on the next steps for the FCC
Horrors! The natives are getting restless! What will Big Telecom do? Answer: They'll ignore such malcontents, and hope that such parties never realize the political power for positive technological change that actually is already in the hands of the people. --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator ----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dfarber@me.com> ----- Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:32:48 -0400 From: Dave Farber <dfarber@me.com> Subject: [IP] Some very brief thoughts on the next steps fpor the FCC Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Please remember I do not necessarily endorse ip mailings. Djf Begin forwarded message: > From: Charles Brown <cbrown@flyingcircuit.com> > Date: April 7, 2010 6:25:20 PM EDT > To: "David Reed P." <dpreed@reed.com> > Cc: Brown Charles <cbrown@flyingcircuit.com>, dave@farber.net > Subject: Re: [IP] Some very brief thoughts on the next steps fpor the FCC > > To sustain the Republic, a new Internet is required. An Internet founded for and by communities of people. A "communications commons", with innovation at the core of the technical infrastructure. The people will build and deploy their own communities, and create their own economic values absent the heavy hand of crony capitalism. They only need the tools. > > It is the people's electromagnetic spectrum. And, regardless of what you may have been told, it is largely unused. Today, it is an Orwellian tool of the corrupt nexus of political and economic power. > > A single act of civil disobedience is admirable. A collective act of civil disobedience builds a powerful alternative. > > Free and open communications is the lifeblood of any democratic society. Like the financial industry, consolidation of "content and access" props-up restrictive regimes of centralization. Today, ATT gets gov't communications contracts because it's "too big to fail" and play nexus ball. We saw this with the wiretapping. We can see this onerous trend at work in China, Iran, and many other countries. > > Can't happen here? None of us can afford to let this happen. And, it's happening now. > > > Begin forwarded message: > > From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed@reed.com> > Date: April 7, 2010 6:51:44 AM EDT > To: dave@farber.net > Cc: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> > Subject: Re: [IP] Some very brief thoughts on the next steps fpor the FCC > > Another path: > > Forget the FCC. The process that kills the Internet happens when, in the name of "our pipes", those who merely provide *access* to the Internet attempt to define what is, and what is not, the Internet for captive subscribers. > > Competition does not magically fix this. (Some forms of competition begin by destroying the Internet, then making a set of walled gardens, because it is *what you can reach* and *who you can connect to* that defines user value of the Internet, not speed). > > We need to recognize that the Internet *transcends* the power of the US Gov't. and *act like it*. Do not just forget the FCC, ignore them. Do not accept the right of gov't or Comcast or ATT to restrict who you can connect to through the Internet, or their right to interfere with your connectivity, merely because they own your pipes. > > Start using peer-to-peer solutions. Use TOR if you have to. Blow up the rate limiters. Take control of your iPhone and install software that fights for capacity on the 3G network. > > Cooperate with those who build a shared network, and bypass or shut down those who would restrict it. Manage your own traffic, don't let them shut down your traffic in the name of protecting their ability to exploit you. > > Build a free and open Internet despite those who would shut it down and balkanize it. > > > On 04/06/2010 07:23 PM, David Farber wrote: >> >> There are three apparent paths for the FCC. >> >> 1. Ask the Congress to change the law. Given the exhaustion of the Hill after the Health debate and the financial system regulations, it is doubtful that they want to get involved in what is likely to be a mess in a bi-election year. >> >> 2. They could change the status of the Internet and make it a Title 2 Telecommunications service. Shades of the old heavy regulatory structure. Doing this might undercut the ability of the industry to raise capital and cause a serious market impact. Also it would change the network culture in not necessarily beneficial ways Big gamble for the FCC and the Internet. >> >> 3. They could appeal the ruling and buy time and pay attention to the National Bandwidth issues. Lots to gain and little to loose. >> >> Dave >> ------------------------------------------- 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 -----