I don't really understand net neutrality

[JohnnySavage]

Should I be a yey or a nay?

Sometimes things are very confusing.

 

[Bidin~Time]

is there a "meh" option?

 

[JohnnySavage]

is there a "meh" option?

I feel like a man should have an opinion.

Speaking of: Today I went to the dump and threw out a whole truck-load of stuff. It pained my soul because I'm frugal and I could have gotten a buck or two for some of that junk... but at times a man just had to put aside his frugalities in the interest of divestiture

A man should also know how to make a fire.

 

[Bidin~Time]

I feel like a man should have an opinion.

Speaking of: Today I went to the dump and threw out a whole truck-load of stuff. It pained my soul because I'm frugal and I could have gotten a buck or two for some of that junk... but at times a man just had to put aside his frugalities in the interest of divestiture

A man should also know how to make a fire.

You just aren't inclined to jump to a conclusion. Wanting to weigh the pros and cons isn't a bad thing.

Sometimes a couple of dollars isn't worth the time and hassle. You believe this to be true or you would be having a garage sale, or posting on craigslist.

You have a larry. Larrys make up for many things.

 

[JohnnySavage]

You just aren't inclined to jump to a conclusion. Wanting to weigh the pros and cons isn't a bad thing.

Sometimes a couple of dollars isn't worth the time and hassle. You believe this to be true or you would be having a garage sale, or posting on craigslist.

You have a larry. Larrys make up for many things.

Larry and I just took a walk and my poor little ears about froze off. I need some muffs.

 

[Sean]

Basically, it comes down to whether you believe that the rich should be able to fuck everyone up the arse because they're rich.

 

[Mike_Yates]

It's a way for corporations (especially the entertainment industry) to censor and control the internet in a way that is to their benefit.

The government can also use net neutrality for political censorship.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Basically, it comes down to whether you believe that the rich should be able to fuck everyone up the arse because they're rich.

Is it an issue over there?

 

[Sean]

Is it an issue over there?

Not really, it's mainly US corporations pushing for it. Thing is, we actually have decent competition between the telecoms providers, unlike the US. It's why you pay four times as much for a far shittier service.

 

[eyer]

Should I be a yey or a nay?

Sometimes things are very confusing.

The players:

...the FCC, the Congress, the President, American Internet Service Providers, American Internet-concerned companies, the American citizen.

The issue:

...as usual: power; specifically in this case, who has the real power in America to regulate the Internet/broadband service in America: the FCC or Congress?

The FCC exists because of Congress' creation of it, so that issue should seem moot to logical thinkers. But the FCC has already tried to assert its authority on the matter and federal courts have rejected those attempts as unqualified, twice...

...so now the FCC is trying a different tactic by classifying the Internet/broadband services under Title II of the Communications Act, saying the authority the Act gives them over phone companies naturally should include American ISPs, too; basically, the FCC (and others) want the Internet to be legally classified as a common utility. Obviously, though, the Communications Act was a legislative process of Congress, and Congress and the Courts have the say on any authority the FCC has.

Giving all benefit of doubt, it's hard to say where the President actually stands on the issue: some assert that he is the one who directed his appointed FCC chairman to lead the charge for classifying American broadband a utility, and he's certainly come out in favor of that, but I also read he's not veto-set against possible legislation the Congress comes up with if it treats the net neut issue to his liking...

...and that is exactly what the Congress is working on: new legislation to steer regulation of American broadband service toward the future.

On January 7 at the CES show in Las Vegas, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced the FCC would distribute a set of proposed rules regulating broadband to FCC commissioners on February 5, 2015, and then that the FCC would vote on the rules February 26, 2015...

Wheeler also hinted during the convention that the final version of the proposed rules will enforce net neutrality by using some of the regulatory power the FCC claims over phone companies through Title II of the Communications Act. But he declined to go into detail.

"You'll notice that I have not addressed any of the specifics," Wheeler said. "You have to wait until February to see the specifics."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles...s-february-vote-on-net-neutrality-at-ces-2015

On the other side of this power issue, the Republican majority Congress issued its discussion draft of its working legislative bill on this 16th past, not making anyone wait "to see the specifics"...

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure Internet openness, to prohibit blocking lawful content and non-harmful devices, to prohibit throttling data, to prohibit paid prioritization, to require transparency of network management practices, to provide that broadband shall be considered to be an information service, and to prohibit the Commission or a State commission from relying on section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as a grant of authority.

http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=7a90bcad-41c9-4f11-b341-9e4c14dac91c

The draft legislation would also prohibit the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from reclassifying broadband as a regulated public utility, and it would stop the agency from creating any new Net neutrality rules.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/28...ill-allows-reasonable-network-management.html

All GBers who truly do wish to educate themselves further on the net neutrality issue as it's discussed in this post, feel free to read more:


Pro FCC

Exclusive: White House says net neutrality legislation not needed

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/15/us-usa-internet-neutrality-exclusive-idUSKBN0KO2JO20150115

Broadband A 'Necessity,' Obama Says, As He Pushes FCC To Expand Access

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/14/377230778/obama-pushes-fcc-to-expand-broadband-access

Net Neutrality Activists Warn Republican Congress to ‘Back Off’ Legislation

http://www.theblaze.com/contributio...-republican-congress-to-back-off-legislation/


Pro Congress

The Turning Point for Internet Freedom

As regulators weigh imposing net neutrality on the Web, Congress tries to pre-empt government overreach.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/robert-m-mcdowell-the-turning-point-for-internet-freedom-1421712567

Eight reasons to support Congress’s net neutrality bill

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ons-to-support-congresss-net-neutrality-bill/


Whatever any partisan hack - OF ANY PERSUASION - may disingenuously champion otherwise according to their own political agendas, and as mentioned at the beginning of this post, the relevant issue here is who has the constitutional authority - the POWER - to rule over this issue:

The American people through their Congress...

...or the FCC, an agency created by Congress?

For all lovers of the uniquely American form of republican government...

...there really is no question at all.

 

[Wife of Bath]

You should be for net neutrality. 100%.

I don't have time to explain it right this minute but there's tons of information out there.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I don't want to pay more or be throttled... so I guess I'm pro-Net Neutrality.

In my neighborhood, we have two interweb providers: Comcast via cable and Verizon via Fios. Both are over priced but there you go. I have the 50 MB package from Comcast for $65 per month.

I really have no way of knowing though if I'm getting what I pay for. My porn plays fine (although I only need a few 5-minute clips) and my NetFlix works fine.

 

[Sean]

I don't want to pay more or be throttled... so I guess I'm pro-Net Neutrality.

In my neighborhood, we have two interweb providers: Comcast via cable and Verizon via Fios. Both are over priced but there you go. I have the 50 MB package from Comcast for $65 per month.

I really have no way of knowing though if I'm getting what I pay for. My porn plays fine (although I only need a few 5-minute clips) and my NetFlix works fine.

I pay around half that, I get about 70 MB d/l speeds, unlimited, phone line, free evening and weekend calls to anywhere in the UK, free TV service, free modem, TV box etc. And I have at least six providers I can choose from.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I pay around half that, I get about 70 MB d/l speeds, unlimited, phone line, free evening and weekend calls to anywhere in the UK, free TV service, free modem, TV box etc. And I have at least six providers I can choose from.

I don't have the phone or tv option. When I had the internet and tv combo, it was $190 a month.

 

[Sean]

I don't have the phone or tv option. When I had the internet and tv combo, it was $190 a month.

Because your providers operate a cartel.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I pay around half that, I get about 70 MB d/l speeds, unlimited, phone line, free evening and weekend calls to anywhere in the UK, free TV service, free modem, TV box etc. And I have at least six providers I can choose from.

Does that mean you have six wires to your house, or does the owner of the wires rent them out to the provider you select?


We do that with power. One company owns the wires but another provides the electricity.

 

[Sean]

Does that mean you have six wires to your house, or does the owner of the wires rent them out to the provider you select?


We do that with power. One company owns the wires but another provides the electricity.

BT own the cables, but when BT was privatised, it was written into the privatisation rules that they had to allow other companies to use them.

 

[eyer]

You should be for net neutrality. 100%.

I don't have time to explain it right this minute but there's tons of information out there.

In the broad sense you refer to it...

..."net neutrality" depends mostly on which political position whomever takes on it - thus, as is evidenced, "net neutrality" means different things to different people. Thus, also, the cause of all the political partisan haggling and differing commentary over "net neutrality".

Meaning: there is no one, definitive explanation of "net neutrality".

The current issue, as I posted of above, is who has the legal power to legislatively define America's first statue(s) for "net neutrality"...

...the FCC or Congress?

The answer is constitutionally obvious, as Congress' draft discussion bill makes crystal clear in its intent.

So...

...all those who wish to educate themselves on how "net neutrality" is currently playing out toward its coming, legal definition, need to pay attention to Congressional hearings that began yesterday and keep up on all the discussions pertaining to them about "net neutrality" as we move forward toward the bill's final vote.

Anyone who is interested in objectively discovering what the current Congress' working draft to legally define "net neutrality" exactly says (compared to what political hacks/commentators will tell you it says), only needs to read the draft themselves:

Edit:

Sorry; the link I provided was an abbreviated one...

...here's the link as it should read:

http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=7a90bcad-41c9-4f11-b341-9e4c14dac91c

 

[PoppingTom]

I don't have the phone or tv option. When I had the internet and tv combo, it was $190 a month.

Phew. I have internet, HDTV with extra channels, and 2 telephone numbers. Cost me about 60 Euro per month, ca 75 dollar.

 

[SuprSalor]

Thanks to contributing to an already over-strained landfill system. Next time think about recycling..

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Everything keeps getting better, bigger and faster without our government involved.


If you want the internet to be more like our economy, by all means, invite the government in.

 

[Sean]

Everything keeps getting better, bigger and faster without our government involved.


If you want the internet to be more like our economy, by all means, invite the government in.

You have no idea what the discussion is about, do you?

 

[Que]

Everything keeps getting better, smaller and faster without our government involved.


If you want the internet to be more like our economy, by all means, invite the government in.

FYP, YW.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Potatoes, taters...

 

[Sean]

FYP, YW.

How come in socialist Britain we pay about a dollar less per Mbps than the bastion of the free market that is the US?