Online telecom firm on Net Neutraility decision: If AT&T or Comcast blocked us, we'd cease to exist

[Amerigo Vespucci]

O'Brien: Why net neutrality matters to one Sunnyvale company

By Chris O'Brien

Mercury News Columnist
Posted: 04/06/2010 04:54:13 PM PDT
Updated: 04/06/2010 04:54:14 PM PDT

If you want to understand why consumers need strong rules ensuring all traffic on the Internet is treated equally, look no further than a Silicon Valley telecommunications company called 8x8.

The Sunnyvale-based firm has been around for 23 years, and a public company for 13 years. The company survived the dot-com bust — but barely — by reinventing itself as an online telecommunications company, and since then has seen revenues rebound nicely the last five years.

For all of its innovation and survival instincts, though, 8x8 remains at the mercy of every Internet service provider.

"If AT&T or Comcast decided to block us, we would cease to exist," said 8x8 chief executive Bryan Martin.

That's not just hyperbole. The threat is serious enough that the company lists it as a risk factor in its securities filings.

Unfortunately, the attempts to put firm rules in place to protect the 8x8's of this world, so-called "net neutrality" principles, were thrown into chaos on Tuesday by a calamitous ruling from a federal appeals court.

The court said the Federal Communications Commission does not have authority to regulate the Internet. The ruling came in a case where Comcast appealed the FCC's decision in 2008 to penalize the company for blocking customers' access to a file-sharing service.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14832032?nclick_check=1

[endless october]

1. future DUs might be shut out of the bandwidth market.

net neutrality now.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. The Anti-Net Neutrality crowd...

...is trying to paint a picture of criminal druggie types downloading illegal copies of movies and such through BitTorrent, thus "clogging the pipe" for honest, decent folk.

In reality, it's all about greed.

And the worst part is that MANY businesses are using video on their sites now. Because it is relatively easy (but time-consuming) for me to produce good-quality video for even my smallest clients, they experience the advantage of their businesses "coming to live" on the Web. They're among the many who will get hurt if the I.S.P.s move forward with their plans.

[annabanana]

2. We have to get out there and make a BIG noise... Who in the House?

Who in the Senate might be brought into this fight. Clearly, legislation is needed, and SOON.

Info:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8100432

[pscot]

3. Maria Cantwell is interested I believe

She was an exec at Realnetworks before she ran for Senate.

[L0oniX]

5. Big corporate owned judicial system ...no surprise there.

[Jkid]

6. Either every company or indpendent website will be at the mercy of the big telcos

...or cease to exist. We have to do something. Even if it means going straight to their offices to air our views.