Rhino
06-22-2006, 07:08 AM
For Consumers, Only Certainty of Net Neutrality Is Uncertainty
Thursday, June 22, 2006
By Greg Simmons
WASHINGTON — A Senate panel on Thursday is scheduled to take up legislation that aims at settling an intensifying debate between the corporations that own the lines that bring Internet service to millions of homes and offices and the companies that enable people to use those services.
The outcome could affect the pocketbook of virtually everyone who taps into the World Wide Web.
The debate comes down to two sides: Web content providers like Google, eBay, Microsoft and consumer advocacy groups who say the federal government needs to insure the Internet is equally available to everyone, and telecom firms like AT&T and Verizon, who want to set a system of fees to charge more to people who create or use the heaviest amount of content -- like streaming video products -- that take up the widest bandwidth on the Web.
Telecommunication firms "would have control over which bits flowed over their network to the consumer," said Consumer Federation of America research director Mark Cooper, who is seeking "net neutrality" regulations. "You will lose your freedom to choose service ... That will erode competition in the application and content market, [which include] the people who think about neat things to do on the Internet."
"The current system that's in place, the status quo ... it's not sustainable as the Internet evolves," said AT&T spokeswoman Claudia Jones, who argues an as-yet undefined payment system will create a more efficient Internet........http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200497,00.html
Thursday, June 22, 2006
By Greg Simmons
WASHINGTON — A Senate panel on Thursday is scheduled to take up legislation that aims at settling an intensifying debate between the corporations that own the lines that bring Internet service to millions of homes and offices and the companies that enable people to use those services.
The outcome could affect the pocketbook of virtually everyone who taps into the World Wide Web.
The debate comes down to two sides: Web content providers like Google, eBay, Microsoft and consumer advocacy groups who say the federal government needs to insure the Internet is equally available to everyone, and telecom firms like AT&T and Verizon, who want to set a system of fees to charge more to people who create or use the heaviest amount of content -- like streaming video products -- that take up the widest bandwidth on the Web.
Telecommunication firms "would have control over which bits flowed over their network to the consumer," said Consumer Federation of America research director Mark Cooper, who is seeking "net neutrality" regulations. "You will lose your freedom to choose service ... That will erode competition in the application and content market, [which include] the people who think about neat things to do on the Internet."
"The current system that's in place, the status quo ... it's not sustainable as the Internet evolves," said AT&T spokeswoman Claudia Jones, who argues an as-yet undefined payment system will create a more efficient Internet........http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200497,00.html