NYT editorial: Big winner in last election may turn out to be net neutrality

[DeepModem Mom]

Editorial
Protecting Internet Democracy
Published: January 3, 2007

One of the big winners in the last election may turn out to be the principle, known as net neutrality, that Internet service providers should not be able to favor some content over others. Democrats who are moving into the majority in Congress — led by Ron Wyden in the Senate and Edward Markey in the House — say they plan to fight hard to pass a net neutrality bill, and we hope that they do. It is vital to preserve the Internet’s role in promoting entrepreneurship and free expression.

Internet users now get access to any Web site on an equal basis. Foreign and domestic sites, big corporate home pages and little-guy blogs all show up on a user’s screen in the same way when their addresses are typed into a browser. Anyone who puts up a Web page can broadcast it to the world.

Cable and telephone companies are talking, however, about creating a two-tiered Internet with a fast lane and a slow lane. Companies that pay hefty fees would have their Web pages delivered to Internet users in the current speedy fashion. Companies and individuals that do not would be relegated to the slow lane.

Creating these sorts of tiers would destroy the democratic quality of the Internet. Big, wealthy voices would start to overpower the smaller, poorer ones. Innovation would be threatened if start-ups and small companies could not afford the new fees. The next eBay or Google might never be born.

A net neutrality law would require cable and telephone companies to continue to provide Web sites to Internet users on an equal basis. Mr. Markey, of Massachusetts, will be taking over a key subcommittee that handles Internet issues. He has promised to hold hearings to educate Congress and the public, and to reintroduce his strong net neutrality bill. Mr. Wyden, of Oregon, plans to reintroduce an equally solid bill in the Senate....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/opinion/03wed1.html?hp

[illinoisprogressive]

1. When blogs talk

politicans listen

[G_Leo_Criley]

2. Net Neutrality all the way

:kick:

glc

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. GOOD

[ClintonTyree]

4. Big business....

will find a way to regulate the "internets" come hell or high water. There's too much at stake for them to allow equal footing for all. The new Robber Barons haven't given up on this by any stretch of the imagination. For now, at least, the wolves have been beaten back from the door and for that I'm supremely grateful, but I don't expect them to give up on the notion. We'll have to KEEP fighting for net neutrality for decades to come. No quarter should be given to the cavalcade of corporate crooks trying to control what information we're allowed and at what price.

[blm]

7. Here's why corpmedia has protected Bushboy and GOP majority all these years...

Kerry Seeks to Reverse FCC's "Wrongheaded Vote"

Commission Decision May Violate Laws Protecting Small Businesses; Kerry to File Resolution of Disapproval

Monday, June 2, 2003

WASHINGTON - Senator John Kerry today announced plans to file a "Resolution of Disapproval" as a means to overturn today's decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to raise media ownership caps and loosen various media cross-ownership rules.
Kerry will soon introduce the resolution seeking to reverse this action under the Congressional Review Act and Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act on the grounds that the decision may violate the laws intended to protect America's small businesses and allow them an opportunity to compete.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerry expressed concern that the FCC's decision will hurt localism, reduce diversity, and will allow media monopolies to flourish. This raises significant concerns about the potential negative impacts the decision will have on small businesses and their ability to compete in today's media marketplace.

In a statement released earlier today regarding the FCC's decision, Kerry said:

"Nothing is more important in a democracy than public access to debates and information, which lift up our discourse and give Americans an opportunity to make honest informed choices. Today's wrongheaded vote by the Republican members of the FCC to loosen media ownership rules shows a dangerous indifference to the consolidation of power in the hands of a few large entities rather than promoting diversity and independence at the local level. The FCC should do more than rubber stamp the business plans of narrow economic interests.

"Today's vote is a complete dereliction of duty. The Commissioners are well aware that these rules greatly influence the competitive structure of the industry and protect the public's access to multiple sources of information and media. It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure that the rules serve our national goals of diversity, competition, and localism in media. With today's vote, they shirked that responsibility and have dismissed any serious discussion about the impact of media consolidation on our own democracy."


Kerry was ranking memebrt then - Chairman with subpoena powers now.

[McCamy Taylor]

9. Corporate media responded by refusing to release exit poll data in 2004.

[blm]

10. Hard to believe so many still dismiss corpmedia's complicity with GOP agenda

since the mid90s.

[freefall]

5. K&R n/t

[Beetwasher]

6. The Internet Is Becoming (Or IS) The NEW Fourth Estate and Guardian of Democracy

The old media is dead, long live the new media! Thank all that is good for the internets, without them we wouldn't have a fighting chance against the creeping doom of fascism.

[ananda]

8. two years..

ATT agreed to net neutrality for two years.
After that all corporate hell breaks loose for the internet..
and it won't be nuthin nice.

Sue