What ever happen to the "net neutrality" issue

[INdemo]

We have heard nothing about this lately..Is the issue dead or will the Repukes hide their corporate wishes in some bill that the Democrats are eager to pass and nothing is said about it until we find out that our Internet has been destroyed?

[silverojo]

1. I'd like to know, myself.... n/t

[blogslut]

2. Here's Bill Moyers

Interviewing my FCC hero, Michael Copps:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08242007/watch.html

[spindoctor]

3. You think the net is still neutral?

By definition nobody can take ownership of the net, but the wild days of way back when (remember the 90's?) are long gone.

Basically the patriot act and technological advancement has given them full control over "the internets" and that's what it was all about in the first palce, wasn't it?

[snot]

4. Here's some info:

From http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/agendas/att-may-have-censored-bands-political-speech-in-the-past-288236.php :

AT&T May Have Censored Bands' Political Speech in the Past

"While AT&T claimed to be just as outraged as we were over their censoring of Pearl Jam's anti-Bush lyrics during their Lollapallooza stream, they might not be being all that honest. . . . ccording to Wired's Listening Post, concerts streamed on the Blue Room by The Flaming Lips and the John Butler Trio have also been censored for political reasons. . . .
"They did the same thing on the webcasts from Bonnaroo in June during the John Butler Trio show when he was talking about the lack of response from our government during Katrina, and also during the Flaming Lips show when the lead singer was talking about how much George Bush had screwed up. I was at both of those live shows and saw the webcasts later. The sound did not cut out at any other time—only when someone was talking about George Bush or the goverment in a negative way."
(snip)
____________

From http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2007/06/05/ed-whitacre-gone-but-not-forgotten/ ; see also http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/06/05/theres-a-problem-its-called-net-neutrality/ for partial text :

Ed Whitacre: Gone But Not Forgotten
AT&T chief Ed Whitacre handed over the keys to his replacement Randall Stephenson yesterday, but not before giving a rousing pep talk to fellow executives in the company’s San Antonio board room. . . “There’s a problem. It’s called Net Neutrality,” Whitacre told the heirs to AT&T’s telecommunications empire. “Well, frankly, we say to hell with that. We’re gonna put up some toll booths and start charging admission.”
* * *
Despite claims of poverty whenever pressed to offer better services, these AT&T execs are privately gloating over more than $35 billion in gross profits over the last 12 months. Moreover, Whitacre (and now Stephenson) are pressuring Congress to allow them to provide privileged Web access to their customers to companies that pay them a special fee.
* * *
“Will Congress let us do it?” Whitacre asks his colleagues. “You bet they will — cuz we don’t call it cashin’ in. We call it ‘deregulation.’ ”
It’s Whitacre’s brand of “deregulation” that has left the United States behind other nations in providing fast, affordable Internet to more people.
Recent broadband data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had the U.S. slipping to 15th out of 30 nations in per capita broadband use.
* * *
Whitacre remains intent to defy public opinion, funnel cash into Washington and win over control of the Internet once and for all.
“With all of our generous campaign contributions, I’m quite certain that Congress will see it our way,” he said during his farewell speech. “Who else they gonna listen to? The public?!?”

http://c-cyte.blogspot.com/2007/04/free-nation-wide-wi-fi.html >

[leeroysphitz]

5. Is that last quote for real?

[snot]

6. I've given the sources -- that's all I know, sorry. nt