2007 November 02 « It A Gas!

Archive for November 2, 2007

International Journal of Communication
These interdisciplinary academic journals are peer reviewed and focus on communication. The Web site offers 34 scholarly journals exploring all facets of the complex issue of Network Neutrality.
Hands Off the Internet
This group states its opposition to any government regulation of the Internet, and the majority of its membership are telecommunications companies and conservative lobby groups. The group’s main rival, SavetheInternet.com, claims Hands Off the Internet was specifically created to oppose any federal legislation supporting Network neutrality.
Save The Internet.com
This is the home site of the SavetheInternet.com coalition which has more than a million members pushing for Congress to preserve Network Neutrality. The group receives no industry funding.
Chilling Effects Clearinghouse
This organization is the result of a joint partnership between the Electronic Frontier Foundation and many leading universities including Harvard and Stanford. The group helps individuals to determine their rights on everything from copyright to content protection.
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The FCC Web page is devoted to the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996, which promoted deregulation of the telecommunication industry. With regards to the World Wide Web, the law guarantees equal treatment for everyone on the Internet.

Federal legislators will fail to pass network neutrality legislation on broadband carriers
Without the legislation, Internet broadband providers will discriminate against “content and competing services” they don’t like.
Network Neutrality would stifle innovation.
Without Network Neutrality, consumers will lose all control to decide which applications and services will be available. Much like cable television providers, could Internet providers decide which sites and services would be available? And would that mean consumers would have to choose from a menu and pay for the plan they want?
A world without Network Neutrality could include oligopoly pricing, reduction in innovations and constraints on free speech.

Codify Network Neutrality principles allowing for broadband providers to create a tiered-style of pricing with the idea of equal access to each tier.
Prevent potential mergers between telecommunication companies that would lead to a monopoly on high-speed Internet service. If a merger is accepted, then require the parties share its cable network with all of its rivals.
Amend the 1996 Telecommunications Act to strengthen provisions relating to Internet usage.