While I disagree with the DUmmys ignorance and stupidity RE: Net Neutrality, I DO agree with giving the FCC SOME power to regulate how Internet Service providers manage the data through their networks for the following reasons:
The Internet from its earliest inceptions; the theory, the IP addressing scheme, the "no single point of failure" Packet Switching protocols and redundant network connectivity used to send data across these networks, were ALL conceptualized, designed, created, and implemented using American taxpayer dollars. Originating as
ARPANET created for
DARPA, the taxpayers paid for every penny that built this network then connected it to government and defense facilities, universities, research centers, even leased lines into government officials and university teachers/researchers homes. Quite obviously the last link of connectivity to a person's home, military base, or research center was via leased telco lines and the taxpayers initially paid for those too.
The taxpayer owns the Internet per se. When the Internet was opened for public use, the final link into our homes was from an ISP that used the telco lines to make the connection between the Internet and our homes via the ISP's switching system.
Now along comes Comcast who does nothing more than "Bolt On" their commercial front end to the PUBLIC's internet and provide access to the PUBLIC Internet via their CableTV connection into our home. Same for Qwest or Verizon using their phone lines.
I can understand having to pay Comcast a fee to use the CableTV system that they built AND must maintain for
access connectivity to the PUBLIC Internet but what I do NOT agree with is Comcast Throttling throughput based on THEIR arbitrary criteria. If the public Internet can handle a specific data throughput that exceeds the data throughput THROUGH their (Comcast's) system from my home to the public Internet, then Comcast needs to upgrade their system!
If this is allowed to continue the, lameassed "file sharing bandwidth hogs slow our system for others" excuse will be applied to heavy traffic premium sites like Drudge or WND and not just BitTorrent sites like
The Pirate Bay. I can clearly see the left making sure that the speed to a New York Times web site far exceeds that of a hit to say Drudge and others in the future.
Eventually Comcast and others will begin to charge a tiered fee based on which ever package you pay for, the speed of connectivity to specific web sites could be quite delayed or slowed or UNACCESSABLE based on your subscription fees.
All this with an Internet system that WE paid for.
It's like the taxpayers paying for and building the ultimate information building and library then Comcast "bolting on" their own front door and charging us not only entry fees, but different rates for using either the stairs, regular, or express elevators for access based on extra fees we pay. If Comcast built and maintains the access point, then I will pay a fee to use it but once inside, I MUST be allowed equal access to ANYWHERE in the library at *MY* discretion.
