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Net Neutrality 12-28-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Net Neutrality/Data in New Congress? Don’t Hold Yer Breath

Of course, the pundits interviewed noted this coming Congress will be preoccupied with other stuff, like, uh, the war and the budget. Oh, and let’s not forget about a little presidential race that’s already gearing up.

My bet is that we won’t see any federal legislation that does any more than pay lip service to the Net neutrality issue. Maybe something in the data security and privacy realm might hit the floor, but the fact is (and call me a cynic) the government wants access to any and all of our data for pretty much ever. That means it will be exempt from whatever laws are put in place, most likely making them moot where civil liberties are concerned. Remember CAN-SPAM, where they conveniently wrote themselves out of the law?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 11-12-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Shift Happened: How Might a Democrat-Controlled Congress Affect Media, Internet, Communications and Entertainment?

The shifting of the balance of power from Republicans to Democrats on Capitol Hill will likely have dramatic consequences on US foreign military/diplomatic policy and on domestic social policy. . . .

My first relatively obvious observation is that the shift in power tips the balance to the Net Neutrality forces and puts the Bells on the defensive for the first time since passage of the “96 Telecom Act” as they continue their efforts to obtain video franchising relief. Perhaps this means there is a potential compromise in the works – video franchising relief for a more meaningful iteration of Net Neutrality?

But is it all good news for the Internet voice/video/media/entertainment disruptors? I know, given the vast resources devoted on all sides of the debate to Net Neutrality, one might conclude that Net Neutrality is the only issue that matters, but it is not. While the Internet application providers and users might win on the Net Neutrality front, I harbor no great expectations that the Democrats will be any less paternalistic than their Republican corollaries on the social issues affecting the Internet and communications, particularly the inertia pushing traditional emergency response, lawful intercept, and now indecency statutes and regulations on Internet applications, without any serious regard for the deleterious effects on innovation and progress.

Bottom line, however, is that I no longer expect Congress to pass any significant, Internet-affecting, legislation this year. I, however, do expect that the FCC might try to fill the breach and try, itself, to move on video franchising reform, universal service contribution methodology and access charge reform, and continuing down the path of imposing traditional telecom- and broadcast-like regulation on Internet applications, while further deregulating the transmission media. I also expect that many of the battles might move back to the states as Congress becomes less fertile turf for the traditional carriers.

Want to know what you can do?
MA Bell Monopoly Versus the Free Internet — Tell the FCC Net Neutrality Is Not Negotiable

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 10-29-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

The Truth Behind America’s Digital Decline

With every passing month, the United States falls further behind the global leaders in broadband Internet access thanks to a combination of market and policy failures. Our markets lack the competition to bring lower prices, higher speeds, and universal access. Our policies lack the imagination and potency to create real change. Meanwhile, Americans pay more money for less service than a dozen other nations. A third of U.S households are still stuck with dial-up, and another third lack Internet access of any kind. Our broadband problem is becoming a crisis.

Yet major telecommunications legislation now moving through Congress lacks a comprehensive vision for how to bring multiple competitive broadband providers to each market offering truly high-capacity connections at affordable prices.

[. . .]

To make matters worse, the Federal Communications Commission seems content to ignore the broadband problem and pretend we are moving forward. While the FCC is crowing about an uptick in 1 megabit per second (Mbps) DSL connections, Japanese consumers are paying the same price for 100 Mbps. How long can we afford to be 100 times slower than the rest of the world?

Want to know what you can do?
MA Bell Monopoly Versus the Free Internet — Tell the FCC Net Neutrality Is Not Negotiable

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

A Short Post to Read for Kids with Autism

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In my email today

Big Roy send this email today with a request to all for us.

Liz,

I have a new post which is sort of a call to action for Autism parents and supporters. You may know already that the Congressman (Chairman Joe Barton) blocking the Combating Autism Act is also heavily on the side of big Telecom in the Net Neutrality issue. Any help you could give would be appreciated. This post

Thanks as always,
Big Roy

Austic kids do great things. To quote the Autistic Diva, “. . . without autistics you wouldn’t have electricity in your homes and offices. Without autistics you wouldn’t have computers or the Internet. Every single time you blog something or make toast, thank an autistic person.”

Won’t you take a minute to read Big Roy’s post about it?

Thanks.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
Blogging Allows Folks with Autism Equal Access

Net Neutrality 9-23-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Congress is clueless about the internet [via The Blog Herald]

So why am I not worried?

Because soon the next generation of elected officials are going to be people my age, people who grew up with the internet, people who instant message their friends. In the next 10, 20, and 30 years the people that are elected to office are going to be people who “get” the internet, people who understand why net neutrality is important.

Laws aren’t irreversible. In 25 years the justices on the supreme court will understand the internet – they can say that laws enacted today are unconstitutional. The people who grew up logging into Facebook and checking email will be more powerful.

The next guy in charge of the RIAA might understand why downloaded music isn’t such a bad thing. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 8-7-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Online Advocacy: Same As It Ever Was?

The net neutrality fight has many parallels to anti-Communications Decency Act battle that raged beginning in 1995. Online activists were emboldened by free-speech issues and teamed with established companies to fight the legislation. The activists lost the fight in Congress and with President Clinton who signed the bill, but generated enough momentum and support that they rallied considerable resources to their side to win in the Supreme Court, which struck down the law.

The activists…

  • Got sites like Yahoo! to go black for a day (Black Thursday)
  • Organized online petitions that got more than 100,000 signatures
  • Drove direct constituent communications to members of Congress

    • If we can learn from recent history, the CDA battle taught us that the Web can quickly bring people together to marshal forces for a common cause, but that if the driving issue goes away, so do many of the participants. You need a pressing, immediate battle to really rally the troops. . . .

    –ME “Liz” Strauss

    Related
    NET NEUTRALITY PAGE