Net neutrality

45degreeN · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:03 am Post subject: Net neutrality

It seems that there is a movement amongst the internet providers to change the costs of access to high band width services. Of the cable providers who offer broad band access to the internet it seems they want to set some artificial limit on the amount of information a person can access each month without extra charges.

Effectively this might just shut down such things as You tube, Face book, and even Netflix since each of the users of these services depends upon massive amounts of band width which will instantly become extremely high priced. The limits suggested have been so low that a single viewing of an on line movie (on Netflix for instance) will send the recipient over that limit.

(Edit)My son plays internet MMPRPG's that swallow up the band width and this whole industry will shrivel up and die if and when this pricing comes into effect. There are millions of others around the world who play these innocent games and it is a shame that some profit hungry idiots in the CEO offices want essentially to destroy this whole industry.

It also seems that there is a bill (HR 1955 and S-1959) in congress ostensibly to protect us from violent internet content, but which can in fact censor just about anything that the "powers-that-be" want or think they want for whatever reason they want (legitimate or not.)

These attacks on the exchange of information are attacks on the civil liberties of all internet users and they need to be stopped. If we dont stop it here and now then it will be impossible to stop the censors in the future.

Key of Twilight · Hamster Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 83

As an internet junkie/gamer/and lover of my free speech this is a horrifying thought Sad

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 6817 Location: USA

Firstly; although the ISP's are talking about charging for band width usage, the most they will get is the chance to increase their service fees. As was pointed out, there are far too many industries that will face financial doom if any other payment plan was put in place - capitalism will not allow the destruction of numerous endeavors for the profit seeking of one endeavor.

Secondly:

HR 1955, written by a Democrat, passed the house in Nov 2007 by a vote of 404-6

S-1959 was introduced to the Senate and sent to committee Aug 2007

45degreeN · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:46 am Post subject:

Given my economic situation, I would be out of my mind if I had to pay an exorbitant fee for the bandwidth I use. I do have DSL vs cable so that is slightly different. Heavy broadband cable users do in fact affect the others using the same area modal points but with DSL each signal is independent of the others.