Monday, June 11, 2018

FCC Tosses "Net Neutrality" — Hold on to Your Wallet — Greedy ISPs Are A Comin' for More

Big Greedy GOP FCC led by Chairman Ajit Pai  
(He always hated the rules, but loves ISP money)

Tossing Net Neutrality now says: No rules are best rules – “go screw the public, ISPs.” /s/ Ajit Pai, FCC chairman

The original rules laid out in a regulatory plan that addressed a rapidly changing internet with broadband service. It was considered a utility under Title II of the Communications Act, but now gives the FCC new controls over all internet providers (ISPs).

The old rules prohibited (established under Obama) - ergo: Why so hated, um?

1.  BLOCKING: Internet service providers (ISPs) could NOT discriminate against any lawful content by blocking websites or apps.

2.  THROTTLING: ISPs could NOT slow the transmission of data because of the 
nature of the content, as long as it was legal.

3.  PAID PRIORITIZATION: ISPs could NOT create an internet fast lane for companies and consumers who paid premiums, and a slow lane for those who didn’t.

Now everyone is worried about:

ISPs will begin willy-nilly selling the internet in bundles, not unlike cable television packages. You want access to Facebook and Twitter – well under a bundling system, getting on those sites could require paying for a premium social media package and those two giants already super rich will bet richer.

Another major concern is that consumers could suffer from pay-to-play deals. Without rules prohibiting paid prioritization, a fast lane could be occupied by big internet and media companies, as well as affluent households, while everyone else would be left on the slow lane.

Some small-business owners are worried: They fear the industry giants could pay to get an edge and leave them on an unfair playing field.

E-commerce start-ups have feared that they could end up on the losing end of paid prioritization, with their websites and services loading more slowly than those run by internet behemoths. Remote workers of all kinds, including freelancers and franchisees in our expanding economy, could similarly face higher costs to do their jobs from home.

My 2 Cents: Equal access and information critical to helping keep the American public well-informed and well-educated gone. BIG rich ISPs and others just got richer. 

Thanks to this Corporate-minded/owned GOP. Thanks for nothing. 

Thanks for stopping by.



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