Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Tuesday November 28 2017, @12:57PM   Printer-friendly
from the just-change-to-a-competitor dept.

For years, Comcast has been promising that it won't violate the principles of net neutrality, regardless of whether the government imposes any net neutrality rules. That meant that Comcast wouldn't block or throttle lawful Internet traffic and that it wouldn't create fast lanes in order to collect tolls from Web companies that want priority access over the Comcast network.

This was one of the ways in which Comcast argued that the Federal Communications Commission should not reclassify broadband providers as common carriers, a designation that forces ISPs to treat customers fairly in other ways. The Title II common carrier classification that makes net neutrality rules enforceable isn't necessary because ISPs won't violate net neutrality principles anyway, Comcast and other ISPs have claimed.

But with Republican Ajit Pai now in charge at the Federal Communications Commission, Comcast's stance has changed. While the company still says it won't block or throttle Internet content, it has dropped its promise about not instituting paid prioritization.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/comcast-quietly-drops-promise-not-to-charge-tolls-for-internet-fast-lanes/


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Funny) by DannyB on Tuesday November 28 2017, @02:20PM (3 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday November 28 2017, @02:20PM (#602507) Journal

    The premise of TFA implies that Comcast is truly capable of actually delivering fast internet. To anyone.

    Now if by "fast lane" they mean compared to slowing down other Comcast users, I could understand the point.

    One would think that Comcast service could not get any worse. But it can. And this is but one example of how.

    Not only could Comcast charge for fast lanes, it could another fake tacks or fee on your bill to penalize you for not subscribing to fast lanes.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=1, Funny=1, Total=2
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Tuesday November 28 2017, @03:00PM

    by Nerdfest (80) on Tuesday November 28 2017, @03:00PM (#602516)

    As with many businesses, there's really not enough competition to stop them from intentionally degrading services to push people towards the more expensive options. Of course they'll do that. They've demonstrated repeatedly that right, fair, and honest are not words that are associated with pretty much any public corporation.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by stretch611 on Tuesday November 28 2017, @04:33PM

    by stretch611 (6199) on Tuesday November 28 2017, @04:33PM (#602554)

    it could another fake tacks or fee on your bill to penalize you for not subscribing to fast lanes.

    Technically, Comcast will not sell you fast lanes, but sell them to Youtube, amazon, netflix and more. Of course these places will just increase your bill or add more advertising instead.

    Though... it is possible that in the future, they will charge you based on what you access.

    https://i.imgur.com/kNlHDj1.jpg [imgur.com]

    --
    Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
  • (Score: 2) by crafoo on Tuesday November 28 2017, @05:53PM

    by crafoo (6639) on Tuesday November 28 2017, @05:53PM (#602595)

    Base service is the fast lane. Don't pay, get put into the new slow lanes. It's pretty simple. Pay more money for what you have, or live with a degraded service: as slow as they can get away with probably. VPN? Those packets are encrypted. Automatic slow lane treatment.