FCC Caves on Net Neutrality

New FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, former lobbyist for the cable and wireless industry, doesn't even try to preserve net neutrality by not even trying to reclassify internet service as a common carrier telecommunications service rather than an information service as the latest Court of Appeals decision on net neutrality left open as an option and invited the FCC to do.

"‘Net Neutrality’ Policy Shift as F.C.C. Plans for a Fast Lane

NYT, 8:58 PM ET

Planned new rules would allow an Internet provider to negotiate separately with content companies and charge them for priority service."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/technology/fcc-new-net-neutrality-rules.html?hp

"Feds May Be Looking To Bail On Net Neutrality: WSJ

Net neutrality is not dead. But it may be about to take a big blow to the head."

The Wall Street Journal has a foreboding scoop that provides details on an early draft of the Federal Communications Commission's new net neutrality rules. And to put it mildly, Internet activists will not be thrilled.

According to the WSJ's sources, the FCC's plan would restructure the rules that govern online traffic by granting Internet service providers the ability to give some websites "preferential treatment" -- i.e. faster traffic -- in exchange for money.

If such rules were imposed, activists fear Internet service providers would make bandwidth-exhaustive websites -- think Netflix and Skype -- pay more for smoother delivery, which would theoretically mean higher prices for customers in turn...."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/23/net-neutrality_n_5201034.html

Another shameless reversal of campaign promises by President Obama.

"Obama pledges Net neutrality laws if elected president

The presidential hopeful says if elected, he'll prioritize enacting antidiscrimination rules for broadband providers during first year in office."

http://www.cnet.com/news/obama-pledges-net-neutrality-laws-if-elected-president/

Obama's first FCC Chairman,Julius Genachowski ,also caved on net neutrality by not re-classifying the internet as a telecommunications service, and kept it as an information provider, which everyone knowledgeable knew did not give the FCC the power to impose common carrier net neutrality on the internet.

(On March 22, 2013, Genachowski announced he would be leaving the FCC in the coming weeks. On January 6, 2014, it was announced that Genachowski had joined The Carlyle Group, the most politically and financially powerful private equity firm in the world.)

 

It's time for the FCC to stand up for Americans instead of ruining the Internet

http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/23/5644858/dear-fcc-why-do-you-hate-consumers

 

http://advanced-television.com/2014/04/24/fcc-isps-can-charge-for-speed/

 

That is a misleading statement by the author of the advanced television article.

The rules the Appeals Court struck down were doomed from the start and were never intended as a sincere attempt at guaranteeing net neutrality. The rules struck down were a politcal cave-in by Obama's first FCC Chairman because all informed persons understood that the FCC lacked the authority to impose such rules on an Information Service rather than a Telecommunications Company, which are governed under differing sections of the existing Communication's Act.

Net neutrality was the de facto status quo until several years ago, when the Bush-era FCC headed by General Clayton Powell's son, decided to classify internet provision as an information service (IS) rather than a telecom service (TS). This mattered because telecom services had always been regulated as common carriers, which effectively required internet providers to treat everyone equally. Under the IS regime, the old common carrier requirements were replaced by four net neutrality "principles" that were considerably less stringent.

Obama's first FCC Chairman went on to impose tighter net neutrality rules, but left alone the classification of internet services as IS. The federal judge that overturned those rules decided that the FCC's rules exceeded its authority because it had failed to classify broadband Internet as a common-carrier service.

The current proposal lead by the Current Chairman Wheeler, a former industry lobbyist, that will kill net neutrality fails to follow up on the Court's invitation to reclassify the the internet as a Telecom Service.

"Craig Aaron, president of the media advocacy group Free Press ...states that: 'This is not Net Neutrality,. ..It's an insult to those who care about preserving the open Internet to pretend otherwise. The FCC had an opportunity to reverse its failures and pursue real Net Neutrality by reclassifying broadband under the law. Instead, in a moment of political cowardice and extreme shortsightedness, it has chosen this convoluted path that won't protect Internet users.'.."

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/24

"In 2007, at a public forum at Coe College, in Iowa, Presidential candidate Barack Obama was asked about net neutrality. Specifically, “Would you make it a priority in your first year of office to reinstate net neutrality as the law of the land? And would you pledge to only appoint F.C.C. commissioners that support open Internet principles like net neutrality?”

“The answer is yes,” Obama replied. “I am a strong supporter of net neutrality.” Explaining, he said, “What you’ve been seeing is some lobbying that says that the servers and the various portals through which you’re getting information over the Internet should be able to be gatekeepers and to charge different rates to different Web sites…. And that I think destroys one of the best things about the Internet—which is that there is this incredible equality there.”

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements#slide_ss_0=1

Statement by Senator Bernie Sanders. I - Vt.
4/24/14

"Under this terribly misguided proposal, the Internet as we have come to know it would cease to exist and the average American would be the big loser. We must not let private corporations turn bigger and bigger profits by putting a price tag on the free flow of ideas.

"Our free and open Internet has made invaluable contributions to democracy both here in the United States and around the world. Whether you are rich, poor, young or old, the Internet allows all people to seek out information and communicate globally. We must not turn over our democracy to the highest bidder."

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Be...et-Neutrality_Sanders-Bernard-140424-106.html

 

"The FCC Is About to Axe-Murder Net Neutrality...
In January, a federal appeals court rejected regulations designed to assure some measure of fairness in the way America's internet service providers (ISPs) handle information traveling through their networks. The problem, according to the court, was not so much that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)couldn't insist on what is called "network neutrality" – the idea that customers, rather than ISPs, should decide priorities for information they get online. No, the issue was that the FCC had tried to impose broadband rules under the wrong regulatory framework. And the court all but invited the FCC to fix its own mistake and rewrite its own updated rules.

The FCC's new chairman, the former cable and wireless industry lobbyist Tom Wheeler, said he would comply, rather than appeal. "Preserving the Internet as an open platform for innovation and expression while providing certainty and predictability in the marketplace is an important responsibility of this agency," he said in a February statement.


Now, based on a slew of frightening news reports Wednesday night and a "clarification"from the FCC Thursday, we know how the agency – or at least the former cable and wireless industry lobbyist Tom Wheeler – proposes to respond: it won't exercise its supreme regulatory authority in the manner the court suggested.


No, not at all.


Rather, the FCC will say – loud and proud – that it is fixing the open-web problem while actually letting it get worse, by providing a so-called "fast lane" for carriers to hike fees on sites trying to reach customers like you and me. Which, inevitably, would mean you and me start paying more to use those sites – if we aren't already.


This is a potentially tragic turning point in American politics and policy. We are on the verge of turning over the internet – the most important communications system ever invented– to telecoms that grew huge through the government granting them monopoly status. Barring a genuine shift in policy or a court stepping in to ensure fair treatment of captive customers – or better yet, genuine competition – companies like Verizon and Comcast will have staggering power to decide what bits of information reach your devices and mine, in what order and at what speed. That is, assuming we're permitted to get that information at all."

Full Story Here:

http://www.alternet.org/fcc-about-axe-murder-net-neutrality-what-you-should-know

 

Net Neutrality: A Guide to (and History of) a Contested Idea.

-- Tom

 

Gutting Net Neutrality also guts innovation, fairness and democracy by Cory Doctorow.

 

How The FCC Plans Neuter The Net, Even As The FCC Insists Everyone's Got It All Wrong.

-- Tom

 

Your corporate internet nightmare starts now.

-- Tom

 

Net Neutrality And The End Of The Equal Internet.

-- Tom

 

Tech giants fight for net neutrality.

Related: Net neutrality pressure mounts inside, outside FCC.

-- Tom

 

Vi Hart Explains & Defends Net Neutrality in a New Doodle-Filled Video.

-- Tom

 

AT&T claims common carrier rules would ruin the whole Internet.

 

Web host gives FCC a 28.8Kbps slow lane in net neutrality protest.

-- Tom

 

The Case for Rebooting the Network Neutrality Debate.

-- Tom

 

What Exactly Is Mozilla Asking The FCC To Do About Net Neutrality?.

-- Tom

 

Defending the Open Internet.

-- Tom

 

Talk of an Internet Fast Lane Is Already Hurting Some Startups.

-- Tom

 

Top ISPs threaten to innovate less, spend less on network upgrades.

-- Tom

 

Network Neutrality.

-- Tom

 

FCC changes its net neutrality stance... yet again.

-- Tom

 

For anyone interested in the subject of Net Neutrality and has the time or day off, the FCC Open Commission Meeting starting today (Thursday 5/15) at 10:30 AM, where Charmain Wheeler is expected to present his new plan, will be broadcasted on the net and can be viewed here. (There is some possibility that the two other Democratic Commissioners, who have asked the Chairman to postpone consideration of his proposed rule will prevail and the proposal will not be presented.)

http://www.fcc.gov/live

 

Update: The first few minutes of the meeting were delayed as outspoken demonstrators were forcibly removed from the Commisson's Meeting Room.

 

FCC brings down the gavel on Net Neutrality.

-- Tom

 

The FCC doesn’t have to authorize Internet fast lanes—they’re already legal.

-- Tom