FTC backs telecom companies

FTC head Deborah Platt Majores called the network neutrality bill in congress unnecessary.

I ask myself whether consumers will stand for an Internet that suddenly imposes restrictions on their ability to freely explore the Internet or does not provide for the choices they want

I really don’t see how these people see this in the way that they do.  Network Neutrality won’t impose restrictions on the consumers “ability to freely explore the internet [tubes]”!  What it will do, or should do in any case is keep the ISP’s from charging extra money from the content providers so that their product is delivered at a faster speed than their competitor.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem except that I as a customer have no choice as to whether Google pays At&t for the higher delivery.  I can have the most expensive, fastest broadband connection available, but if Google didn’t pay At&t, it’s would be like using dial-up.

Tell me how that doesn’t interfere with the consumer’s choices?  If the telcos get their way and do this, you can say goodbye to  80% of the Web 2.0 companies of the future.  Or maybe they would be web 3.0?  Fact is, without paying for the higher delivery rates that the larger companies get, the smaller startups wouldn’t be able to deliver their content at speeds that any consumer would be happy with.  Think of what this would have done to Digg, del.icio.us, reddit, and others if their service was as slow as a 56k dial-up connection because they didn’t have the capital to pay the telco to deliver them at higher speeds?

Network Neutrality is a must.

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