Someday when I’m paying a separate fee to be able to read the news on the web and another fee to see sports scores and another fee for weather, I will think back to this year and scream till my ears bleed. (I’ve no idea how long that is but I felt it an effective visual aid to describe my frustration…lol.) The New York Times is reporting that the FCC is seeking “more input…” when it comes to wireless internet and net neutrality. If you are a regular reader here at The Giggaheim, you may well remember previous grumbling on my part regarding net neutrality and various ISP’s efforts to make sure it never happens. The only thing certain at this point is that the issue is going to drag on well past the November elections and that each side is knocking on lots of doors in high places trying to sway the matter. From the New York Times article:
The F.C.C.’s decision to seek further comment during the next 55 days effectively precluded any commission actions until after the Congressional elections in November.
Lawmakers of both parties have accused the F.C.C. of trying to “regulate the Internet” with recent proposals that would give it authority over the companies that provide consumers with Internet connections.
Several public advocacy groups expressed anger at the F.C.C.’s move, accusing it of trying to duck a politically difficult decision.
Those groups have been pushing for the commission to re-establish its authority over Internet service providers and to guarantee the open-access practice known as net neutrality.
“I think it has the appearance of the F.C.C. kicking the can down the road,” said Derek Turner, research director for Free Press. “The job of the F.C.C. is to protect the public interest. That includes making the really hard decisions that may anger some powerful industry incumbents.”
The long and short on this is that the delay certainly looks like the possibility of Verizon and Google having their way with wireless internet could be an ugly reality. With wireless internet seeming to be the way of the future when compared to wired internet connections, it’s a real problem. The FCC is claiming that they want more time to mull over the technical details of any legislation that they would propose in order to avoid that document being rejected on some minor point. Taking time to polish and hone their next move isn’t a bad idea as so far, each time they have gone to court in an attempt to enforce net neutrality they have been struck down.
Call me a pessimist, but when it comes to what is good for everyone against what is good for some who will make mad cash…cash wins.
