I have 2 broadband providers available in my area: Verizon and Brighthouse. Since Verirzon blocks ports I need for my Linux mail server and web server, I really have one choice, Brighthouse. They are owned by Time-Warner. The idea that they might decide to slow or stop traffic for content at their discretion is troubling.
Despite protestations to the contrary I think they’ll use this power to disadvantage content from competitors, since the own a large chunk of copyrights to movies and music consumed in the US. I don’t think they’ll manage their networks for the good of their customers. They’ll do what corporate America always does, maximize their profits by choking off competition, then use those inflated profits to change the rules and regulatory environment to further inflate their profits.
Sadly, this decision leaves the ball in Congress’ court. I seriously doubt they’ll do the right thing and protect the freedom of the internet.
A federal appeals court on Tuesday dealt a sharp blow to the efforts of the Federal Communications Commission to set the rules of the road for the Internet, ruling that the agency lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks…
But Tuesday’s court ruling has far larger implications than just the Comcast case.
The ruling would allow Comcast and other Internet service providers to restrict consumers’ ability to access certain kinds of Internet content, such as video sites like Hulu.com or Google’s YouTube service, or charge certain heavy users of their networks more money for access.
Google, Microsoft and other big producers of Web content have argued that such controls or pricing policies would thwart innovation and customer choice.
Consumer advocates said the ruling, one of several that have challenged the F.C.C.’s regulatory reach, could also undermine all of the F.C.C.’s attempts to regulate Internet service providers and establish its authority over the Internet, including its recently released national broadband plan.
via Court Favors Comcast in F.C.C. ‘Net Neutrality’ Ruling – NYTimes.com.
