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End of ‘Net Neutrality’

The sky has not fallen. Armageddon has passed evidently passed us by. We have not seen the Great Tribulation that was expected to fall on us on June 11, with the official end of the FCC’s Title II ‘net neutrality‘ internet rules.

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Without the regulations, we were told, the web wouldn’t work properly. Disaster would follow: fire and brimstone, floods, earthquakes, mass extinction, dogs and cats living together- real Wrath of God stuff. At the very least, we’d see our content requests blocked or slowed, with frustratingly long buffering of music and video. Of our afflictions there would be no end.

Why hasn’t the sky fallen?

So far, none of the dire predictions has been realized. We haven’t seen ISPs rushing to raise rates, block or slow content, or otherwise restrict internet access.

In fact, most ISPs have announced plans to develop advanced 5G systems. They are investing massive amounts in creation of new networks and expansion of existing ones. These investments had been retarded under the Title II web rules, because ISPs did not want to risk capital in an uncertain regulatory climate. The FCC had too much discretion, and ISPs could not be sure how it would rule from one case to another. With the end of the Title II framework, ISPs are more certain about what the law allows.

What happens now?

Does this mean the industry is finally at peace? Will the advocates of the restricitve web rules admit that they could have been wrong? Don’t bet on it. Though the legal battle over Title II is settled- for now- the political quarrel is nowhere near its end.

The industry is sharply divided over the issue. Google and Facebook have argued strenuously for retaining the Title II rules for ISPs, while Verizon and AT&T called for their abolition.

Several states, and some municipal governments, have said that they will enact ‘net neutrality’ rules on their own.  This effort has encountered stiff resistance. Roslyn Slayton is a scholar for the American Enterprise Institute who served on Mr. Trump’s transition team. Slayton said to CNN, “It’s patently illegal for the states to make their own internet policy.”

The Trump Administration is likely to join some of the larger ISPs in lawsuits against state attempts to regulate the web.

UPDATE:  We’ve received word that an effort to enact a state ‘net neutrality’ law has stalled in the California legislature.

What does it all mean anyway?

‘Net neutrality’ is the principle that an internet service provider (ISP) should treat all data equally. An ISP should not block, slow, or charge extra for any data based on the user, application, website, platform, connected equipment, or means of communication.

The Title II web rules are extensions of the 1934 Telecommunications Act. Under its terms, an ISP is to be regulated like as a ‘common carrier’, like a land line telephone exchange.

 

(For the most reliable internet connection, talk to Satellite Country. We can help.)

 

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Title II ‘Net Neutrality’ May Be Repealed

Internet service providers all across the fruited plain are awaiting December 14, 2017 with bated breath. On that date, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on possible repeal of Title II classification of the internet as a utility and ISPs as ‘common carriers’. Under Title II, ISPs are subject to regulation like land-line telephone services. The rules are often said to promote ‘net neutrality’.

A repeal ruling would revolutionize digital communications, though observers disagree vociferously about whether it would improve or degrade them.

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What is ‘net neutrality’?

In theory, ‘net neutrality’ seems unassailably right. As described by its supporters, it is the concept that ISPs should treat all data alike. They could neither slow or block disfavored content, nor accept payment for speeding other content. Without the rules, proponents say, an ISP might block or slow content from political opponents or market competitors. Comcast, for example, might throttle streaming of DirecTV.

‘Net neutrality’ is said to be necessary for a free and open internet.

What do the critics say?

Critics of the regulations say there has never been a convincing case that they’re needed. They point out that from 2005 to 2015, before the Title II web rules went into effect, average consumer data speeds surged by more than 1000% while internet traffic soared exponentially. Opponents of the rules argue that market forces will prevent abuse. If Comcast does throttle DirecTV streams, the cable system will lose credibility and alienate its customers. Comcast subscribers will then seek other providers.

What are the odds?

After December 14, we are likely to find out which view is correct. Given the partisan composition of the FCC (three Republicans, including chairman Ajit Pai, and two Democrats), a vote for repeal is nearly a foregone conclusion.

Since his appointment as FCC Chairman, Pai has often criticized the Tie II web rules. And on November 21, he issued a draft order to schedule the repeal vote.

How does this affect you?

If you have HughesNet service, you’ve nothing to worry about. We do not have a video division, and we don’t block or throttle any content.

 

(For the most reliable internet connection, talk to us. we can help.)

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‘Net Neutrality’: Is It Doomed?

For the internet industry, the regulatory climate may be facing a dramatic shakeup. The Federal Communications Commission has scheduled a December 14 vote on possible repeal of Title II web regulations. These rules are meant to promote what is known as ‘net neutrality’.

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‘Net neutrality’ is the concept that all data on the web should be treated alike. Internet service providers (ISP) should not discriminate by platform, content, website, application, or user. An ISP would not be allowed to block, throttle (slow down), or charge extra for access to specific websites or online content.

What fed the demand for ‘net neutrality’?

The matter became a live political issue in 2004, when Comcast throttled uploads of peer-to-peer file sharing apps such as BitTorrent. Despite public protest, Comcast did not stop the throttling until the FCC ordered it to do so. AT&T, Verizon, and other ISPs were also accused of blocking or throttling specific content. Some were accused of giving favorable treatment to data from corporate partners, including TV networks.

In 2014, the FCC received more than 3.7 million complaints about blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. The following year, the commission ruled that the internet is a telecommunications service. An ISP, then, is a ‘common carrier’ subject to regulation under Title II of the 1934 Telecommunications Act. The web would be regulated like any public utility.

Resistance to the New Rules

The Title II rules faced fierce criticism from the cable and telecom industries. Some claimed the rules would inhibit investment in internet systems. This would delay or prevent improvement in equipment or networks. In any case, the leading ISPs said, the rules went far beyond the FCC’s legal mandate.

Ajit Pai, the current FCC chairman, said that the current ‘net neutrality’ rules discourage innovation. Less innovation, he said, means less competition. This in in turn, he said, keeps prices high.

Pai says repeal of the Title II internet rules will foster competition, make broadband more widely available, and bring prices down. His critics say the move would only make the larger ISPs more dominant. The largest cable and telecom systems would enjoy near-monopolies on the flow of information.

Who’s right? We may find out after December 14.

 

(For the strongest internet connection, talk to us. We can help.)

 

 

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‘CAPITALISM VS. SOCIALISM’

THE FIGHT OVER ‘NET NEUTRALITY’

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Michael O’Reilly is no shrinking violet. Speaking before the American Legislative Exchange Council last Friday, the FCC Commissioner pulled no punches in describing Title II internet rules. He said the debate over them pits “capitalism vs. socialism”.

The Title II rules enforce ‘net neutrality‘. This means they forbid blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization of internet content. The rules are meant to keep ISPs from favoring their own content over content from competitors. Some internet providers, such as Comcast and AT&T, have their own TV service divisions, and regulators thought they might treat their own video more favorably than video from Hulu, Netflix, and other streaming services. Free Press, a consumer group, says the rules are necessary for free, open communication online. Without ‘net neutrality’, it says, ISPs could block political or social views they don’t like.

The FCC enacted the Title II rules in February 2015. The biggest cable and telecom systems objected fiercely, and lobbied hard for repeal.

With a new President came new majority in the FCC. The new Chairman, Ajit Pai, has said that Title II rules should be repealed, and O’Reilly has sided with Pai. Speaking to ALEC, he said, “All of the propaganda in the world cannot paper over the fact that these new burdens were not in response to actual market place events…” O’Reilly said the rules were enacted only because of “…hypothetical concerns dreamt up by radical activists”. He called ‘net neutrality’ a stalking horse for a larger effort to “vanquish capitalism and economic liberty”.

O’Reilly also criticized the offer of discount municipal broadband. He compared it to Venezuela’s offer of low-cost gasoline. The state required oil companies to sell their product for less than production cost, leading to massive shortages. O’Reilly said that municipal offers of free or cheap broadband would also produce shortages.

O’Reilly said he would support subsidies for the poor. However, he firmly opposes “…allowing government sponsored networks to use their unfair advantages to offer broadband services”. Capitalism, he says, is absolutely necessary.

(For broadband service, talk to us. To find out how to get the most out of it, talk to us. We can help.)