NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Project seeks to develop "a la carte" Internet connection services
Well, most of all, the key thing is to recognize that these would not be general purpose Internet connections. We can talk policy -- without the old confustions -- so long as that distinction is clear. These types of offerings are something else, not the general purpose platform for end user innovation that's what's on the line is the "NN" debate. See: Understanding the Interplay of the Open Internet and Specialized Services > http://internetdistinction.com/statement/#Understand%20Interplay On Open Networking Policy and Research in New Networking Technologies > http://internetdistinction.com/statement/#Network%20Research On Specialized Services Bypassing or Supplanting Open Internet Connections > http://internetdistinction.com/statement/#Overriding%20Open%20Internet Seth On Tue, Oct 18, 2011 at 6:29 PM, Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com> wrote: > > Project seeks to develop "a la carte" Internet connection services > > http://j.mp/oDke61 (UMass) > > "What if you could choose an ISP in your area with a button on your > desktop and you could pay for only the time you used each one?" says > Naguney. "To watch a movie with the fastest service for high-quality > streaming, you buy it for two hours and move on. For checking your > e-mail later, you take the lower-priced product that offers higher > security, a secure server with the latest anti-virus software. That's > the sort of choice and flexibility we're talking about."" > > - - - > > There are a number of issues here. Some obvious ones: > > 1) How would this technology fare against the existing protocols > that are deeply embedded in a vast range of current applications? > > 2) Would the benefits of this type of system to the average consumer > (in terms of performance/price or whatever) justify the new > technical (and likely billing) complexities? > > 3) Would ISPs (who more and more want to bundle services, not > break them apart) see significant benefits to supporting such > a system, especially in the U.S.? > > 4) Would regulators be willing to encourage or require such a system, > given their inability to date getting much more modest proposals > enacted vs. lawsuits, Congressional actions to block Internet > regulations, and so forth? > > My initial impression is that such a plan would have a much better > chance of being at least seriously considered in various locales > outside the U.S., but whether or not it would necessarily make good > sense even outside the U.S.' toxic political environment is not > necessarily clear. > > --Lauren-- > NNSquad Moderator > > > >