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from the it-takes-300-pages-to-redefine-neutrality dept.
The bloom may have already fallen off the Net Neutrality rose. As reported yesterday in the Wall Street Journal (paywalled):
When Google's Eric Schmidt called White House officials a few weeks ago to oppose President Obama's demand that the Internet be regulated as a utility, they told him to buzz off. The chairman of the company that led lobbying for "net neutrality" learned the Obama plan made in its name instead micromanages the Internet.
Mr. Schmidt is not the only liberal mugged by the reality of Obamanet, approved on party lines last week by the Federal Communications Commission. The 300-plus pages of regulations remain secret, but as details leak out, liberals have joined the opposition to ending the Internet as we know it.
It seems as though, in their zeal to "stick it" to the ISPs, most proponents didn't consider that when you allow 3 unelected people to issue rulings on something as large and ubiquitous as the Internet, bad things can happen:
Until Congress or the courts block Obamanet, expect less innovation. During a TechFreedom conference last week, dissenting FCC commissioner Ajit Pai asked: "If you were an entrepreneur trying to make a splash in a marketplace that's already competitive, how are you going to differentiate yourself if you have to build into your equation whether or not regulatory permission is going to be forthcoming from the FCC? According to this, permissionless innovation is a thing of the past."
The other dissenting Republican commissioner, Michael O'Rielly, warned: "When you see this document, it's worse than you imagine." The FCC has no estimate on when it will make the rules public.
(Score: 2) by Daiv on Tuesday March 03 2015, @06:04PM
Force them to compete on price and speed alone.
That sure as hell isn't/wasn't happening now and before whatever comes of this. How exactly do we do what you suggest?
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday March 03 2015, @06:21PM
Go read the things that the new ruling subjects ISPs to.
Not only does the FCC rules prevent preferential treatment of some traffic over others, it also mandates cable/fiber companies access to the physical plants, (at reasonable price) the same way as different phone companies are required to share the local loop.
It worked for phones. Could not that work for internet connections?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by fnj on Tuesday March 03 2015, @07:13PM
Could you provide an authoritative citation for your wild-ass claim? The FCC decision SPECIFICALLY SAYS it is NOT unbundling the local loop for broadband.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday March 03 2015, @08:14PM
Can you cite something believable?
If you like your Doctor, you can keep your Doctor.
What they assert they are doing (well ahead of the actual regulations being released) has no bearing on what will be in the final regulations.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.