From the New York Times of 9 Jan 2007:
Quote:
Congress to Take Up Net’s Future
Senior lawmakers, emboldened by the recent restrictions on AT&T and the change in control of Congress, have begun drafting legislation that would prevent high-speed Internet companies from charging content providers for priority access. ...
Despite the flurry of activity, the proposals face significant political impediments and no one expects that they will be adopted quickly. But the fight promises to be a bonanza for lobbyists and a fund-raising tool for lawmakers. It pits Internet giants like Google, Yahoo, eBay and Amazon, which support the legislation, against telecommunication titans like Verizon, AT&T and large cable companies like Comcast. ...
While the debate has broken largely along partisan lines — with Democrats among the staunchest supporters and Republicans the biggest foes — there remains considerable Democratic opposition. Last June, a vote on an amendment by Mr. Markey similar to what he plans to introduce failed by 269 to 152, with 58 Democrats voting against the measure.
Many of those Democrats have been allied with unions, which have sided with the phone companies because they believe that the lack of restrictions will encourage the companies to invest and expand their networks.
|
Does this sound like net neutrality need not be protected? How can one support the pipeline companies (ie Verizon, AT&T, Comcast) who have a long history of stifling innovation? When was DSL demonstrated? 1981. What did it take to finally force those pipeline companies to provide DSL? 1996 Federal Communication Law. They would not innovate until forced to by government laws.