Access & Control Rights
"Network neutrality" is important because some telecom carriers -- including Comcast -- are talking about discriminating against some types of content for business reasons. Some groups fear this could shut out voices which don't have the money to pay for premium Internet service levels.
A definition of network neutrality.
UPDATES:
Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, has written an article in The Nation magazine which summarizes the arguments of so-called "network neutrality" supporters.
CENSORED? Major telecommunications companies assert that laws guaranteeing "network neutrality" are an unnecessary restraint on their right to to control what is transmitted along their Internet services. But an ostensibly well-documented blog post by Timothy Karr, a writer and activist at FreePress.net, suggests Comcast censored a segment of ABC Nightline which reported on customer problems with cable operators. MORE ON NETWORK NEUTRALITY. [ Visit Karr's Website ]
VIDEO -- Steve Anderson of the Canadian-based non-profit, COANews.org, produced on May 11 a six-minute advocacy video which explains and advocates "net neutrality." It's available at YouTube.com.
Mike McCurry, press secretary to former President Bill Clinton, has taken up the cause of telecommunications giants in debate over the "network neutrality" issue., according to a New York Times columnist. (ALTERNATE LINK) May 13, 2006.
UPDATE -- University of Maine Prof. Michael Socolow, writing in The Baltimore Sun, says telcom legislation working through Congress contains no provision for "network neutrality." He says this means telcoms could impose variable tolls on web content, changing the dynamics of what users can receive quickly -- or at all. (ALTERNATE LINK) May 12, 2006.
LOW-POWER RADIO ACTIVIST EXPLAINS (April 26, 2006)
Hannah Sassaman, of the Philadelphia-based Prometheus Radio Project, explains in a blog post what she things the impact of a closed net could be on commercial competitors in . . . say . . . tax preparation.
NET NEUTRALITY....THE CURRENT RULES (April, 2006)
Kevin Drum writes in the Washington Monthly that current FCC principles not regulations) prohibit Internet providers from blocking access to sites, but do not prohibit discriminatory degradation of service speed. They allow Internet providers to create special high-speed lanes that they can offer for a price to specific customers.
Anne Broache at CNET News weighs in April 24, 2006 with a thorough wrapup in advance of a U.S. House hearing on network neutrality. She reports on a savetheinternet.com website launched by network neutrality proponents. The Benton Foundation website lists the hearing schedule and witnesses.
Earlier CNET story (March 27)
The Nation magazine, Feb. 2, 2006
Is this the End of the Internet?
By Jeff Chester
Chester is the director of the Center for Digital Democracy. In this essay, he takes the view that the abandonment of network neutrality will lead to the death of the Internet as we have known it -- with it degenerating into a set of private networks with different carriage and toll policies.
Washington Post, Jan. 22, 2006:
The Coming Tug of War over the Internet
By Christopher Stern
A thorough "Sunday piece" roundup of the network neutrality debate and why it's important as a free-speech issue.
InternetNews.COM, Jan. 19, 2006
Consumer Groups Balk at 'New Cartel'
By Roy Mark
Consumer groups urged Congress today to pass legislation barring broadband providers from engaging in what the groups call potentially discriminatory pricing for high speed Internet service.
Financial Times, Jan. 11, 2006
Internet, Interrupted
Telephone companies in the US that provide broadband internet connections are starting to tread on dangerous ground. They are mooting charging companies that provide internet services such as telephony and video-downloading fees to ensure a speedy and high-quality connection.
David Isen notes a Nov. 24 story in the Washington Post which sounds an alarm about what's going on behind closed doors in a re-drafting of the nation's telecommunications laws. Are telecommunications giants angling to get control of all content on their "pipes".
27 Nov 2005 J ust as electric companies can't cut deals with electronics makers to allow only some products to work, the Internet should have similar, guaranteed "network neutrality," argued tech firms such as Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. . . .
David Isen's blog notes a Nov. 24 story in the Washington Post which sounds an alarm about what's going on behind closed doors in a re-drafting of the nation's telecommunications laws. On Sept. 15, the Post reports, a draft circulated by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The draft said Internet service providers must not "block, impair, interfere with the offering of, access to, or the use of such content, applications or services." On Nov. 2, another draft of the bill came out . . the prohibition on blocking or impeding content was gone.
The Center for Creative Voices warned in an Oct. 25, 2005 report that the Internet is in danger of becoming balkanized, asas cable TV giants elect to create and favor their own programming and exclude independently produced material from their networks -- including work produced by former Vice President Al Gore. Link:
http://www.mediagiraffe.org/artman/publish/article_330.shtml
In July 2005, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tony Gnoffo wrote a story about the relationship between No. 1 cable operator Comcast and content -- suggesting that Comcast wants to control the content it delivers. Links:
http://www.freepress.net/news/9074
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/12095299.htm
A June U.S. Supreme Court case, "Brand X" raised the net neutrality issue:
http://newshare.blogspot.com/2005/07/technology-daily-brand-x-and-focusing.html
The Center for Digital Democracy describes the importance of network neutrality and the threat to it following the Supreme Court's June "Brand X" decision:
http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/BrandXdown.html
Another good source: http://www.fepproject.org/commentaries/grokster&brandx.htmlBy Marjorie Marjorie Heins / Brennan Center for Justice / Free Expression
Policy Project / 212 992-8847 / marjorie.heins@nyu.edu / www.fepproject.org
Their Supreme Court BRIEF on subject: http://www.fepproject.org/courtbriefs/BrandX.pdf
OTHER LINKS:
Google Says No to Quality Of Service Fees
In the latest fight in the battle over "net neutrality," Google said it would not pay telephone or cable companies "Quality Of Service fees" in exchange for priority treatment on the operators' broadband networks. Mark Sullivan, Light Reading
Copps Warns of Domination by Communications Giants
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps ratcheted up the debate over "network neutrality," with warnings that the Internet is under threat of domination by communications giants.
David Hatch, National Journal's Technology Daily
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