6 ms·

New bill would prohibit FCC from reclassifying broadband as utility

39 points by ldd- 12y ago

wpietri 12y ago
I'm tempted to refute his points, but it's not like anybody here doesn't get why "the internet economy" would be helped by neutrality. So I'll just sigh and vaguely wonder what it costs to buy a congressional representative these days.
- Schwolop 12y ago
  According to a commenter, Patrick Roanhouse: "Rep Bob Latta (R-OH) also happens to have gotten $41200 in contributions to his 2014 election campaign from Telecommunications and Cable industry affiliates as listed OpenSecrets.orgs campaign finance tracker." So... not much.
- badsock 12y ago
  If you'd like, there's also the option of kicking some money in for this: https://mayone.us/ https://mayone.us/
  - wpietri 12y ago
    I'm already in! And excited by the emails I'm getting about the next stages of their plan. I am totally willing to try to buy our democracy back. I miss it.
astrodust 12y ago
Translation: "Someone just paid me a lot of money." Wouldn't enforcing neutrality be the most minimal form of regulation, where without that baseline it's impossible for some companies to compete? It's not like declaring it a utility would mean, like in the days of AT&T, that Comcast would be required to put up pay internet terminals in the middle of the woods, no matter the cost, or lock in to a particular pricing structure.
anigbrowl 12y ago
Jeepers, our legislators really suck. You think utility regulation is too onerous, reform that. But trying to pre-empt the regulatory process (which involves exhaustive solicitation and categorization of public comment, unlike the legislative branch) is just pouring sand in the works. The government would function a lot better if Congress would let it operate instead of constantly trying to fine-tune it.
daxelrod 12y ago
> Reclassification would heap 80 years of regulatory baggage on broadband providers Can anyone shed some light on what this baggage might consist of? I've heard rumblings that common carrier status might have unintended consequences, but I haven't actually seen them enumerated. > imposing monopoly-era telephone rules and obligations on the 21st Century broadband marketplace Last-mile ISPs are usually local monopolies. I see a lot of handwaving here about regulating "the Internet" rather than specific classes of company. Would Title II reclassification only involve consumer ISPs, or would it also affect backbone providers like Level 3? > We support the efforts ... to codify current policy A great tactic on both sides is to claim that you're fighting for the status quo, which works pretty well. The Net Neutrality argument is "let's fight to keep ISPs from selectively deprioritizing traffic because that would break the Internet." The other side's argument is "let's fight to keep government from interfering because that would break the Internet".
cygni 12y ago
I'm at a friend's house who has Comcast and I can't load any pages from pcworld.com, and http://www.isup.me/pcworld.com http://www.isup.me/pcworld.com says it's just me. Hopefully that's just a coincidence...
- Ygg2 12y ago
  They didn't pay for the fast lane.
- DanAndersen 12y ago
  Same here... I wonder what's up with that.

39 points by ldd- 12y ago

I'm tempted to refute his points, but it's not like anybody here doesn't get why "the internet economy" would be helped by neutrality. So I'll just sigh and vaguely wonder what it costs to buy a congressional representative these days.

Schwolop 12y ago
According to a commenter, Patrick Roanhouse: "Rep Bob Latta (R-OH) also happens to have gotten $41200 in contributions to his 2014 election campaign from Telecommunications and Cable industry affiliates as listed OpenSecrets.orgs campaign finance tracker." So... not much.
badsock 12y ago
If you'd like, there's also the option of kicking some money in for this: https://mayone.us/ https://mayone.us/
- wpietri 12y ago
  I'm already in! And excited by the emails I'm getting about the next stages of their plan. I am totally willing to try to buy our democracy back. I miss it.

astrodust 12y ago

Translation: "Someone just paid me a lot of money." Wouldn't enforcing neutrality be the most minimal form of regulation, where without that baseline it's impossible for some companies to compete? It's not like declaring it a utility would mean, like in the days of AT&T, that Comcast would be required to put up pay internet terminals in the middle of the woods, no matter the cost, or lock in to a particular pricing structure.

anigbrowl 12y ago

Jeepers, our legislators really suck. You think utility regulation is too onerous, reform that. But trying to pre-empt the regulatory process (which involves exhaustive solicitation and categorization of public comment, unlike the legislative branch) is just pouring sand in the works. The government would function a lot better if Congress would let it operate instead of constantly trying to fine-tune it.

daxelrod 12y ago

> Reclassification would heap 80 years of regulatory baggage on broadband providers Can anyone shed some light on what this baggage might consist of? I've heard rumblings that common carrier status might have unintended consequences, but I haven't actually seen them enumerated. > imposing monopoly-era telephone rules and obligations on the 21st Century broadband marketplace Last-mile ISPs are usually local monopolies. I see a lot of handwaving here about regulating "the Internet" rather than specific classes of company. Would Title II reclassification only involve consumer ISPs, or would it also affect backbone providers like Level 3? > We support the efforts ... to codify current policy A great tactic on both sides is to claim that you're fighting for the status quo, which works pretty well. The Net Neutrality argument is "let's fight to keep ISPs from selectively deprioritizing traffic because that would break the Internet." The other side's argument is "let's fight to keep government from interfering because that would break the Internet".

cygni 12y ago

I'm at a friend's house who has Comcast and I can't load any pages from pcworld.com, and http://www.isup.me/pcworld.com http://www.isup.me/pcworld.com says it's just me. Hopefully that's just a coincidence...

Ygg2 12y ago
They didn't pay for the fast lane.
DanAndersen 12y ago
Same here... I wonder what's up with that.