Items tagged with Net Neutrality
If I were standing in front of an auditorium full of people and posed the question, "How many of you are in favor of Internet fast lanes?", I'd have to imagine that not a single hand would be raised. Well, unless someone who stands to profit from such mechanics is present, of course. Most people (rightly) believe that...
Read more...
This past Wednesday, several Republican senators argued before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the topic of Net Neutrality and the Federal Communications Commission. While a large amount of companies are asking that the FCC classify the internet as a utility, Republicans are arguing such a move would give the FCC...
Read more...
If you have been following the battle between cable companies and major online companies, you won’t be surprised when you notice a “Loading…” icon or banner on some of your favorite websites today. Proponents of the existing net neutrality rules have been encouraging everyone from individuals...
Read more...
The Federal Communications Commission has been considering the implementation of new neutrality rules in an attempt to determine how internet service providers should manage web traffic on their networks. The outcry against the FCC and the concept of “fast lanes,” in addition to treating IPSs more like...
Read more...
On September 10th, several of the popular websites you visit may appear to have trouble loading content, but that won't really be the case. All those slow loading animations are actually widgets, banners, and animated images provided by BattleForTheNet, a coalition of companies, organizations, and people who have come...
Read more...
The battle for net neutrality is starting to feel like a never-ending one, but for the sake of having a truly fair Web, it's a battle of utmost importance. It's also a battle that you can help win, as the Federal Trade Commission seeks comments from the public on the proposed net neutrality rules. Originally, the FCC...
Read more...
For years, Verizon and the other telcos have imposed limits on supposedly "Unlimited" data plans and justified those limits with dubious appeals to network quality of service. While throttling data usage makes a great deal of sense in certain contexts (downtown rush hour being an excellent example), most companies...
Read more...
From the beginning, the anti-net neutrality argument has been built on a single premise: Give companies free rein to charge more money for services, and they'll respond by improving the customer experience, rolling out service to more people, and aggressively adopting faster technology. Over the past few months...
Read more...
Ever since Tom Wheeler unveiled a plan last month that would allow Internet Service Providers to charge for paid content prioritization, accusations have flown thick and fast that the proposed rules would effectively kill net neutrality. On the side of "Scrap Wheeler's net neutrality plan" you have more than 100...
Read more...
The FCC has confirmed that it will hold a May 15 vote on a new set of policies governing net neutrality and ISP behavior -- but according to the Wall Street Journal, the commission's proposed regulation will effectively kill the idea of a level playing field. The Wall Street Journal reports that the proposed rules would prevent ISPs from blocking...
Read more...
Last month, Comcast and Netflix announced a controversial deal in which Netflix would pay Comcast directly for improved service. The reason this deal is controversial in many quarters is that it's seen as triple-dipping by Comcast -- the company is already paid by companies like Level 3, which provide Internet back-haul across the country,...
Read more...
Proving once again that there are two sides to every story, a senior executive for AT&T fired back in contentious fashion at a blog post written by Netflix chief Reed Hastings calling for net neutrality. AT&T's Jim Cicconi called Hastings' plea "self righteous" and "arrogant," to use a couple of choice terms...
Read more...
After reading through the latest rhetoric by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, you get the feeling that he views his company's recent deal with Comcast as essentially sleeping with the enemy. The multi-year agreement ensures that Comcast subscribers will enjoy higher quality Netflix streams and less buffering, but Hastings...
Read more...
Proponents of net neutrality were dealt a major blow last month when Verizon challenged and defeated the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. Court of Appeals over what ISPS are and are not allowed to do. Other than some transparency rules, it was ruled that broadband providers need not bother...
Read more...
Two events in the telecommunications and cable world this week have highlighted why, exactly, we need net neutrality and stronger protections for consumer rights. First, on the cable side of the business, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Eagle Communications, and Comcast have collectively introduced a bill into the Kansas...
Read more...
Over the past few weeks, net neutrality has seen serious challenges from the likes of Verizon and AT&T. Verizon won a court case in which the FCC's rules on net neutrality were effectively gutted, while AT&T introduced a new pricing plan for content providers called Sponsored Data, which pushes companies like...
Read more...
As hard as it is to believe that such a fight could even exist, it looks like the courts are beginning to side with the likes of Verizon in the belief that ISPs should have the right to discriminate against websites. Net neutrality, a simple principle that states that the Internet should be "open" is at risk of becoming a moot point, nothing...
Read more...
Well, it’s official: According to Reuters, the FCC’s Net neutrality rules have been published in the Federal Register. They'll finally go into effect on November 20th. We knew this was coming and discussed it last week, but the Federal Register publication was the last official step toward launching the new rules. Net neutrality...
Read more...
The U.S. government has never been accused of moving too quickly on anything, and the Net neutrality rules that the FCC released late in 2010 are no exception. According to Reuters, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget has finally signed off on the rules, which clears the way for implementation in...
Read more...
For Comcast customer Andre Vrignaud, the internet is an important part of everyday life. Vrignaud, a 39-year-old gaming consultant in Seattle and a former Microsoft technology evangelist for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE, has a lot of data: he has a 12TB basement server that he uses to store all of his music, which is ripped...
Read more...
The Canadian ISP, Rogers Communications, admitted yesterday that it throttles games like World of Warcraft in its bid to maintain QoS for all customers. The issue came to light when a Rogers subscriber filed a complaint against the company in February. The author details why she believes Rogers is filtering WoW via deep packet inspection ,...
Read more...
Here's a surprise: Verizon isn't too fond of the FCC's Net Neutrality order. Actually, that isn't too much of a surprise. Many ISPs, cellphone carriers and other operators in this space are very hesitant to jump onboard the FCC's latest train, as any additional regulation and oversight into their industry could mean less control for how they
Read more...
