Comments on: Inside Verizon’s attack on network neutrality

By: johnrobert

johnrobert — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:36:40 +0000

Verizon might be on to something with this talk about confiscation. The best answer here is to just nationalize the Internet backbone and let the government run it like government runs roads, offering access at cost for every user or service who wants it. Then we could have the benefits of competition on ISP prices, and we wouldn’t have to put up with Verizon’s jerk management.

By: Roberto Olivares

Roberto Olivares — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 03:11:07 +0000

This is exactly what I knew would happened. The greed of these companies goes beyond logic and common sense.
The next step for Verizon would be not to charge me MORE as long as I stay a consumer, but the moment I become a producer and try to upload information, then I should pay more.
My freedom of speech will hindered because either I can’t pay them or I refuse to pay them more. From personal dealings with Verizon I have learned that the only side that matters is their side, they have no respect for the consumer.
We need to become more active citizens.
We need to take a stand and protect ourselves!

By: Jeff Turner

Jeff Turner — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 23:00:33 +0000

I think Verizon has attempted to generalize its arguments to the point of greatly diminishing FCC authority in this case. For example, to date, the FCC never took up the Comcast-Level 3 dispute from a year and a half ago. Instead leaving it as a “peering dispute.” Does the FCC have authority to regulate peering and transit?

Verizon is not even touching that question with this appeal. They already assume the title I and II issues are resolved. You can’t enforce “paid priority” pseudo-rules from the FCC, unless you regulate those two business agreements.

Therefore, a tiered Internet has already long been in play before this appeal. Comcast has been particularly overt about it with their Xbox exemptions and paid peering. The news here is really no news. Even if the court decided in the FCC’s favor, there are so many ways to work around the “third way” rules that this just represents another quixotic exercise by the conflicted parties.

By: keninca

keninca — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:35:48 +0000

The FCC should have the authority to regulate wireless internet access, because not just anybody can get into the wireless business. Since spectrum is licensed to a small number of companies, it is basically a quasi-monopoly that uses a public natural resource.

As for wireline access, and their whining about not being able to charge on both sides, they still don’t get understand the internet. Google and Netflix and others ARE paying for internet access. They pay to have their servers connected to the internet, just like everybody else does. Also, since the DSL/fiber/cable internet providers traverse public (and private) lands they don’t own, they owe society something in return for their free and unrestricted access to that space.