FCC under more pressure to rule on REAL net neutrality
Freakin' FCC must rule for TRUE net neutrality (so say
Obama and Leahy)
By Richi Jennings
August 15, 2014 6:14 AM EDT
Tom's boss is watching every freakin' move.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is being told
by President Obama and Senate-President Leahy that it needs to up its
net-neutrality game. And now the grayest lady in the fourth estate has joined
in the act.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers break out the popcorn, despite
glitches when streaming the movie.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for
your entertainment.
Andrew Rosenthal and his NYT chums are in an opinionated
mood:
The F.C.C. is trying to decide whether [ISPs] should be
able to strike deals with powerful firms like Netflix and Amazon for faster
delivery of videos and other data. [But] Small and young businesses will not be
able to compete...if they have to pay fees...to get content to users in a
timely manner.
…
But Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the F.C.C. who was
appointed by Mr. Obama, has proposed troubling rules that...would effectively
allow [ISPs] to divide the Internet into fast and slow lanes. The commission
[should] reclassify broadband Internet service as a telecommunications service,
which would allow regulators to prohibit [ISPs] from engaging in unjust or
unreasonable discrimination against content.
MORE
A fearless Brian Fung ignores who owns his organ:
Citing recent statements by President Obama, the Times
argues that Internet providers should not be allowed to charge...for faster
access...a policy known as "paid prioritzation."
…
Obama said earlier this month that "you don’t want
to start getting a differentiation in how accessible the Internet is to
different users. You want to leave it open so the next Google and the next
Facebook can succeed." ... It wasn't long ago that net neutrality was an
obscure issue for the courts. Now it's...a presidential matter. MORE
And it's also a matter for other branches, notes Alex
Wilhelm:
Senator Patrick Leahy recently called on the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to host round-table discussions...outside of
Washington. ... The FCC should heed the senator’s call and follow through
…
The issue of net neutrality is no small matter, and it
has attracted mainstream attention. ... Soliciting feedback inside of
Washington isn’t a bad idea. But [neither is] picking up a few in-person
comments outside the Beltway. MORE
So Shaun Nichols elaborates:
Leahy – who serves as Senate President Pro Tempore and is
also on the Senate's Judiciary, Appropriations and Agriculture Committees –
said he held a public roundtable in his home state and received valuable
insight from business owners and residents.
…
"Vermonters are not alone, as over a million people
from across the country have submitted comments to the
commission,"...Leahy writes. "Most of them will not be able to come
to Washington...but their voices are more important than industry lobbyists and
members of Congress." MORE
Meanwhile, Erin Mershon, Alex Byers, Katy Bachman and
Brooks Boliek tag-team to bring you this suspiciously-timely tidbit:
Comcast is still hard at work making the case for its $45
billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. [It] wants regulators to know it
really, really supports the Open Internet.
…
“The truth about net neutrality,” the latest of a series
of ads the company has run promoting the merger...in the Washington Post and
other DC-area pubs [is] a sort of manifesto. ... Comcast has been stressing
that it will abide by net neutrality rules.
…
Comcast has spared no expense on an its “Together is
better” ad campaign inside the Beltway...since it announced the deal early this
year. MORE
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