FCC revising Internet rules after public backlash

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is broadening the scope of his proposed open Internet rules and suggesting tougher standards for Internet providers who wish to create paid priority fast lanes on their networks.

According to an FCC official, Wheeler made revisions after the commission received 35,000 public comments —many of them expressing outrage. The FCC first briefed reporters on the proposed rules last month.

Wheeler, a Democrat, also tweaked his proposal after the five-member commission's two other Democrats expressed concern.

"The new draft clearly reflects public input the commission has received," the FCC official said in a statement. "The draft is explicit that the goal is to find the best approach to ensure the Internet remains open and prevent any practices that threaten it."

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140512/us-internet-neutrality-7c29730123.html

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[allan01]

1. thank you to all who spoke up

[pipoman]

2. Is "tougher standards" a win?

[rurallib]

4. doesn't sound like it to me

If you can slice out a piece, eventually the whole structure fails.
I am a jerk about this - the internet must be a common carrier and the FCC can do this. It is in their scope.

[Xyzse]

23. I agree.

[Uncle Joe]

29. I agree with your analysis, ruralib.

Anything short of Net Neutrality is just "death by a thousand cuts."

They truly are afraid of democracy and an open common carrier, Internet presents the greatest threat to the power of the almighty dollar to manipulate the people and maintain the facade of true democratic representation.

[Hosnon]

25. No. nt.

[liberal N proud]

27. It's two words...

Two words that in todays double speak world, will more likely be a relaxed standard for those who want to profit off restricting others from what is theirs.


Don't trust without verification!

[Ash_F]

3. Tom Wheeler needs to go.

He is a cable company lobbyist. He does not belong in that post. It is a conflict of interest.

[rurallib]

5. you are so right.

It is almost as if he felt if he waited for the right time, no one would be paying attention.

[onenote]

19. He was a cable company lobbyist.

He left that job 30 years ago. That doesn't mean he got it right with his net neutrality proposal -- he didn't. But we ought to get our facts right.

[Ash_F]

21. No I was right the first time.

He is clearly still working for the cable companies.

And he did get it right...for the people he represents.

[firesalesman]

6. He will just be replaced by a clone. nt

[phazed]

7. Still not getting it...

This still doesn't sound like a win to me. It's real easy. All traffic is treated equally - or it isn't good for the net.

Among the additions is a provision that would "presume" it to be illegal for an Internet provider to prioritize the traffic of an affiliated service — for example, it would be considered illegal if Comcast Corp. tried to give faster treatment to video streams of its subsidiary network, NBC.
However, an Internet service provider would be allowed to challenge that "presumption," the official said.

... But it doesn't say anything about not blocking alternative news sources not under a companies umbrella, or treating Netflix as an equal, or anything of the sort. It simply says a company is not able to favor itself and not that it can't discriminate against others. I bet when Comcast "challenges" a "presumption" they get to win every time.

Here's an idea, charge the Netflix's of the world a fee for their bandwidth, then charge the users for their bandwidth. If they (the ISP) can't keep up with the bandwidth demands then you either need to upgrade your equipment or not offer the higher speeds. Wow, sounds like what we have had.

[Ed Suspicious]

8. He hoped it could happen for his favorite lobby in one fell swoop. Unfortunately the public noticed

so he turned down the flow. Pacify the masses. Slow the avalanche of change, which everyone notices, to a trickle of change which over time inspires less and less outrage and the shit policy becomes increasingly entrenched and more and more settled law. I'm not nearly as excited as you guys seem to be.

[Flatpicker]

9. Not good enough

Common Carrier status is the only solution.

Maybe it's time to take the calls to the WH itself and demand that FCC leadership be replaced by those who don't have a a financial stake in the outcome.

[Doctor_J]

10. Lipstick on a pig

tougher standards for Internet providers who wish to create paid priority fast lanes on their networks.

There shouldn't be any such things

sorry some are falling for this

[Agony]

11. reclassify or you can kiss my ass, Wheeler

President Obama better get on right side of this issue tout de suite.

[Marthe48]

12. Only 35,000 public comments?

Seems like there should have been many more. I've signed at least 2 petitions for net neutrality. The proposals are opening doors that will eventually limit access. The 'fast lanes' is a load of crap that is aimed at forcing smaller sites off the Internet Highway.

[Flatpicker]

13. Of course it is

This is the MSM and their owners noticing that they are losing control of the medium.

So they are trying to tighten control by consolidating the companies (TW and Comcast, ATT and DirecTV) in order to lock down the messaging.


They need us to depend on them for our information. Keeps the populace in line if the message is consistent.
It's all about catapulting the propaganda and locking the people into an informal caste system.

[Marthe48]

14. I won't disagree with you

I hope that even if we lose our internet to the big guys, the larger need for truth and personal freedom will prevail, even if the little guy has to stand on street corners on a soapbox. With signs.

[GoneFishin]

15. Not good enough. Lipstick on a pig. Manipulative weasel. nt

[closeupready]

16. IMO, this is a lame attempt to defuse the anti-trust hearings on Comcast's

attempt to consolidate in the cable industry, and likely nothing more than a PR move in order to protect the commercial interests of Wheeler's cronies in the cable industry, for which industry Wheeler lobbied in his prior career.

Not impressed with words, sorry.

[Thor_MN]

17. There can not be fast lanes without slow lanes...

What parts of equality and neutrality do conservatives not get?

[BrotherIvan]

20. He's not a conservative

This is a D own goal.

[Lasher]

18. Bullshit, I know corporate jargon when I see it.

It is never employed by people who are being candid.

[Sunlei]

22. Internet providers?Internet should be free to all, & then providers can charge people to lag them

lag them with their "services"

[Hosnon]

24. Nice try but try again.

"Tougher standards" isn't good enough.

Bring it on FCC. I'll put my odds on Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Reddit, etc., beating you any day of the week.

[riqster]

26. So let us shout even more loudly then.

To defeat the rest of the corporate wish list.

[rhett o rick]

28. Were the two Republicans on the committee on board with Wheeler?

"Wheeler, a Democrat, also tweaked his proposal after the five-member commission's two other Democrats expressed concern. "

It's a shame that the public had to remind Wheeler that he is a Democrat. Seems like the other two on the committee also had to remind him.