Monday, July 16 is the last day to submit your comments on Network Neutrality per the FCCs Notice of Inquiry (NOI) at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-31A1.pdf . This NOI includes interesting statements from the FCC Chairman and FCC Commissioners. Below are excerpts from some of the statements:
Commissioner Michael Copps: "It was the Wall Street Journal that said large carriers 'are starting to make it harder for consumers to use the Internet for phone calls or swapping video files.' The more powerful and concentrated our facilities providers grow, the greater their motivation will be to close off Internet lanes and block IP byways. After all, some have already touted their support for segregating Internet traffic by charging premium tolls for passage for favored websites, while consigning everyone else’s websites and applications to bumpy travels in steerage. In 2005, the Commission decided to reclassify broadband transmission facilities as Title I 'information services' rather than Title II 'telecommunications services.' To the uninitiated this sounds like semantics. But it had real consequences. That’s because the nondiscrimination obligations that attach to telecommunications traffic and which were vital to keeping the Internet open in the dial-up era no longer apply to broadband services." Commissioner Jonathan Adlestein : "The Inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners Lee, has said: 'The Internet is increasingly becoming the dominant medium binding us. The neutral communications medium is essential to our society. It is the basis of a fair competitive market economy. It is the basis of democracy, by which a community should decide what to do.' 'Providers may be on their best behavior for now with the spotlight turned on net neutrality. ... I share the growing concern that the leading broadband providers which control the last mile connections to the home may have the ability and incentive to discriminate, and to limit the choices available over the Internet." My (TD's) belief is that the FCC has "sold out" to the greedy network providers who want to cash in on the Internet beyond the revenue they receive for routing traffic on a non-discriminatory basis. NOTES ON SUBMITTING COMMENTS Organizations with forms for submitting comments include http://www.savetheinternet.com/ and http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=2729863 If you want to submit you comments directly to the FCC, go to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ . In the upper right is a link named "Submit a Filing." Use "07-52" as the proceeding number. The FCC requires that you supply your name and address & this information appears on the FCC site. Savetheinternet.com also asks for your e-mail address, however, on the FCC site, I did NOT see e-mail addresses of anyone who submitted a comment. You can see comments from your neighbors by going to http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi . Enter "07-52" as the Proceeding number and your zip code. I suggest using Internet Explorer to see the comments (which are in PDF) -- Firefox doesn't handle this well. -- TD ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games. http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121 ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
