Dangerous and Out of Control Man Acting for Trump
(FCC Chairman Ajit Pai)
Abolish Net Neutrality and Get This
(Easy Passes Not Accepted)
This 2nd Update as that below shows just keeps on coming – this from the NY Times – and it is an excellent
plea to and for the courts to weigh in and stop this FCC madness.
Introduction and highlights from the article:
Back in 2005, a small phone company based in
North Carolina named Madison River began preventing its subscribers from making
phone calls using the internet application Vonage. As Vonage was a competitor
in the phone call market, Madison River’s action was obviously anticompetitive.
Consumers complained, and the FCC then under
Michael Powell, its Republican-appointed chairman, promptly fined the company
and forced it to stop blocking Vonage.
That was the moment when “net neutrality” rules went
from a mere academic proposal to a part of the United States legal order. On
that foundation — an open internet, with no blocking — much of our current
internet ecosystem was built.
Now FCC chairman (refer to ref articles below), Ajit Pai, announced plans to
eliminate even the most basic net neutrality protections — including
the ban on blocking — replacing them with a “transparency” regime enforced by
the Federal Trade Commission. “Transparency,” of course, is a euphemism for
“doing nothing.” Companies like Madison River, it seems, will soon be able to
block internet calls so long as they disclose the blocking (presumably in fine
print). Indeed, a broadband carrier like AT&T, if it wanted, might even
practice internet censorship akin to that of the Chinese state, blocking its
critics and promoting its own agenda.
Allowing such censorship is anathema to the internet’s
(and America’s) founding spirit. And by going this far, the FCC may also have
overplayed its legal hand. So drastic is the reversal of policy (if, as
expected, the commission approves Mr. Pai’s proposal next month), and so weak
is the evidence to support the change, that it seems destined to be struck down
in court
Previous 1st Update
wherein I asked the question:
What is going on here with America and Trump's ambitions about controlling and
running it and us from his boardroom chair as if we are a new acquisition as
his new personal play thing and Trump Empire, Inc., profit?
======================================================
Original Post Here and Below - That is if people want real power themselves? This issue is surely it:
FCC under Ajit Pai is out to kill net neutrality update here from The Hill and other sources.
But first this breaking update just in (Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at noon) from Reuters:
FCC chief Ajit Pai, appointed by Trump in January, said the commission will vote on rescinding the so-called net neutrality rules championed by former President Obama that treated Internet service providers like public utilities.
With three Republican and two Democratic commissioners, the move is all but certain to be approved.
Trump expressed his opposition to net neutrality in 2014 before the regulations were even implemented, calling it a “power grab by Obama” and adding: “The FCC will no longer be in the business of micromanaging business models and preemptively prohibiting services and applications and products that could be pro-competitive,” further saying that the Obama administration had sought to pick winners and losers and exercised “heavy-handed regulation of the Internet.”
Pai said: “We should simply set rules of the road that let companies of all kinds in every sector compete and let consumers decide who wins and loses.”
(I note: That sounds great Mr. Pai, but do you even know the definition of “heavy-handed” – seems doubtful).
Background: Net neutrality has been aimed at giving consumers equal access to web content, also forbade broadband providers from charging consumers more for certain content, a practice called “paid prioritization.”
Pai said state and local governments “need to be preempted from imposing their own net neutrality rules because broadband Internet service is inherently an interstate service.”
(I note: So Pai wants to tell states how to act for their citizens? – Wow).
The preemption is most likely to handcuff Democratic-governed states and localities that could have considered their own plans to protect consumers' equal access to Internet content.
The FCC's planned action represents a victory for Internet service providers including AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp, and Verizon Communications Inc, which had urged the FCC to revoke the rules.
The companies have said that repealing the could lead to billions of dollars in additional broadband investment and eliminate the possibility that a future presidential administration could regulate Internet pricing.
======================================================
The Original Post from Here:
So the basic and obvious question is: “What are the Consequences of Ending Net Neutrality?”
In its most basic form Net Neutrality refers to the barrier of entry. The Internet was founded and operates on a level playing field/open source for everyone.
Regional ISP giants like Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, et al have proposed a toll model of the Internet.
In this model, companies who paid ISP’s more would receive preferential treatment (e.g., higher speed, better connection, etc.) than say individuals and companies who choose not or cannot afford to pay the (any) price they set (say changing every 6 months or annually).
Impact: Preferential treatment or a pay-to-play model of the Internet would shift the Internet from Net Neutrality to corporate advantage based on paid dollars and cents.
Much like the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (ruled January 21, 2010 – who has the most money can try and buy the most votes and “Corporations are just like people”) decision, the end of Net Neutrality would equate to an Internet ruled by those who have the most money to spend paying off ISP’s.
Just like Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Net Neutrality aims to make money equal speech.
(I note: who in the world believes that? Oh, yeah the rich and powerful looking for more of both (money and power). Never mind then…).
My assessment: Ending Net Neutrality as this wacky FCC chairman wants would intensely shift the Internet playing field, tilting it dramatically in favor of moneyed interests making the barrier to entry near impossible for low-income or just barely able to afford a new P/C and decent access Americans.
The end of Net Neutrality would make new Internet enterprise and ideas much harder to come by – they could not compete in other words.
More simple logic on net neutrality here – interesting piece with this simple question: Why are ISP's Pushing to End Net Neutrality? Control and money. The old saying, “what does a man with power want? Answer: more power.”
The main reason ISP's like Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner are pushing to end Net Neutrality is because ISP's want to have the power to enforce and favor what content from what company gains the best traction across the Internet.
Power and money is the name of this game and every person who believes that must stand up and shout and tell Congress “Hell no…!!! Keep the Internet accessible to all and don’t try to control it or us and our speech and access.”
The power is in our hands – not the FCC or Trump or big money-grubbing CEO, et al, but hey that’s the GOP’s only rule of thumb: Power and Money R Us.
Time to act is now – afterwards will be too late.
Thanks for stopping by.
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