Fierce Wireless offers a dire prediction for the FCC's net neutrality rules enacted in December: continued opposition. How this opposition will evolve from talking points to actual action remains unknown, but there will be plenty of sword rattling in 2011, says the site dedicated to the wireless industry.
Here is how they lay the prediction out to readers:
"Of course, the rules aren't agreeable to most lobbyists. On the telecom side, entities like Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and CTIA argue the FCC has no need to regulate Internet traffic, considering the heated competition in the market without such oversight. On the other side stand a range of Internet and public interest entities, which worry that the FCC didn't go far enough to ensure equal and fair treatment of Web surfers' bits and bytes. Thus, We expect the FCC will face significant opposition to its new rules from a range of players. Specifically, we expect those on the telecom side to attempt to tie the FCC's rules up in court by calling into question the agency's authority to implement net neutrality. Indeed, the FCC's two Republican commissioners voted against the rules, partly due to their belief that the agency does not have the authority to impose net neutrality regulations."
We know that there is already vocal opposition to the new net neutrality regulations. What we do not know is who will be the first to take the FCC back to court. Will it be from stakeholders, advocacy groups, or will politicians take the agency to ask in very public hearings this year? We do not know, but we are following this closely and will detail every drumbeat and rallying cry for and against net neutrality, as it becomes known.
Source: Fierce Wireless
Comments
Re: Opinion: Wireless Net Neutrality Will Be Contested
This is essentially the same story I've heard over and over again about the new rules passed by the FCC. The verdict is that they suck and they don't do enough to protect the public from ISPs that want to manipulate their access in order to stop competitors from providing equal or better services that they offer aside from internet access. The internet competes with TV, Phone, Radio, Mail, and so on.
It's about keeping them from messing with your Skype so you can't use it as effectively as their VoIP service. It's about them keeping your connection slow enough so that you can't download or stream you favorite shows conveniently instead of buying their expensive cable packages that are full of stuff you don't want to pay for just to get to the stuff you do. It's also about wanting to degrade you access to your favorite web sites and search engines in favor of their own. Of course, they also want to keep you from sharing commercial works too.
They want the public to continue to think that the internet is just the world wide web when it's far more than that. Wireless or not, the issues apply equally and the rules should as well.
-Greevar
-Greevar
"Paste superficially profound, but utterly meaningless quotation here."