FCC’s ‘Net neutrality’ plan would permit super-tiers, network traffic throttling

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Raw Story

Internet providers will not be subjected to so-called "Net neutrality" rules and may experiment with tiered, usage-based pricing and "network management" practices, according to new rules being considered by the Federal Communications Commission this month.

Advocates of Net neutrality had hoped the regulatory agency would mandate Internet service providers treat all traffic equally: one of the Web's founding principles.

Instead, the FCC's Internet regulations adopts many proposals by search and telecom giants Google and Verizon, with the caveat that wireless telephone providers not block competing voice applications.

In a speech, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski specified that the FCC would permit ISPs to charge heavy bandwidth users even more, creating a tiered pricing structure. ISPs would also be able to charge fees to businesses serving large quantities of data.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/fcc-puts-net-neutrality-dec-agenda/

[aquart]

1. Just what we voted for, right?

[DJ13]

3. Yes of course

I know when I vote for a (D) I always expect to get (R) policies shoved down my throat.

:banghead:

[Lance_Boyle]

2. tiered pricing does not have anything to do with net neutrality

Tiered pricing is about high bandwidth users paying more than low bandwidth users without regard to the content involved in their bandwidth-using activities, or its source. This is not about net neutrality.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. That's what Comcast claims...

...and in strict black and white terms, maybe it doesn't. The rest of the article explores the grey areas.

[Lance_Boyle]

6. You are confusing two issues - net neutrality and tiered (or metered) pricing. n/t

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. I didn't write the article...you seem to have an issue, contact the author. n/t

[pam4water]

7. It will end up a killing net neutrality. Don't like a competitor up it's charges, until it goes

out of business.

[Lance_Boyle]

11. That makes zero sense.

ISPs' competitors are other ISPs, not content providers. How would Comcast "up the charges" on Time Warner? Time Warner is not a customer of Comcast - they are competitors.

Tiered pricing is about ISPs charging high bandwidth users more than low bandwidth users. In other words, the people who stream Netflix movies (high bandwidth usage) could be charged more by their ISP for a plan that allows them the bandwidth needed for that activity. Net Neutrality is about the ISP wanting to charge content providers (like Netflix) for allowing their content to pass over the ISP's pipes to the ISP's customer. Net Neutrality would prevent that. It would not prevent an ISP from charging high bandwidth users more than low bandwidth users.

[newscott]

12. I don't see a high bandwidth user like say a bank

liking this idea. I sense a trickle on effect in the offing.

[blackspade]

14. We already have tiered pricing.

The 32.99 plan, the 36.99 plan, etc.
No this is new, and a way for ISPs to function as gatekeepers to the internet rather than access points.
Both Comcast and Time Warner are both ISPs and content providers.
This FCC ruling will allow competing ISPs to throttle the usage of competitors services.

[pam4water]

18. You mean the Comcast that in trying to buy NBC to add to it's other stations. The Comcast that

provides on-demand movies in competition with Netflix. The Comcast that provides phone service in competition with vonage? Oh you right I'm sure they'd never use tiered to their advantage. Silly me.

[ProudDad]

19. You're wrong...

Net neutrality also means that you are not charged a per packet price...

Not just that each packet has equal status to be passed on...

You're confusing download/upload bandwidth tiers with tiered pricing for net USAGE...

[snooper2]

24. actually, all packets on the Intertubes don't have an equal status already

Cool stuff you can look up...check out COS

[snooper2]

25. Oh, and also..

You aren't charged "per-packet"...just bandwidth :)

Packets can be different sizes FYI

I guess technically it "is" possible, if some assine company thought about putting in something like Packet Smart and then integrating the reporting into the billing systems. Internal IT would probably say the release would be in like 2019 though :rofl:

[ProudDad]

26. Thanks for the info (n/t)

[snooper2]

23. No, it doesn't...and since 97.569% of DUers don't understand how the Intertubes actually work

to most this will just be bidness taken' over again :eyes: ...


We'll make it simple....



EF




Let's see if we get a response in say 18 hours

[hlthe2b]

5. So Obama sold us down the river, again...?

[RKP5637]

8. Yeah, this should work really well. It never ends, does it. One F'en thing

after another. I wish the majority of citizens would wake up, but I have my doubts.

[woo me with science]

10. Soon they will find a way to charge us for air.

I am sure some of the corporations are looking at that woman who claims to own the sun and wondering how she beat them to it.

[Heywood J]

13. So it's not really net neutrality. It's some fucked-up thing they've called net neutrality.

"ISPs would also be able to charge fees to businesses serving large quantities of data."

By definition, having the client's provider charging some servers money to deliver the server's data, especially while not charging other servers for the same, is a violation of net neutrality.

[KamaAina]

16. You got it. Especially when the ISP is in the media business.

That's right, Comcast, I'm talking to you. This gives you a sweet way to stifle competition from Netflix. :eyes:

Screw the FCC. This is unfair restraint of trade.

[ProudDad]

15. "Change" you can believe in, eh?

Well, that oughta take care of Wikileaks...

[ixion]

17. FCC’s ‘Net neutrality’ plan has nothing whatsoever to do with

Net neutrality. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Bupkis. It's a handout to MegaCorp America, as usual. :grr:

[Sivafae]

20. A really important paragraph

Major corporations have long sought a way to charge and earn more for bandwidth, ever since Enron attempted to create a bandwidth trading market where space in data pipes would be traded as a commodity like oil or gold.

[sakabatou]

21. FCC Fuck You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbiT1utynl8

[snot]

22. K&R'd