Hey Verizon, we're not as stupid as you think we are

[Renew Deal]

You may have noticed that I've been writing regularly on Net neutrality and the impending balkanization of the Internet. I had originally intended to depart from that topic this week, but then I noticed the comments made by Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam last week (read the full transcript).

He offers many highly concerning statements, but the one that leaps out first is that McAdam apparently believes that proponents of a neutral Internet do not know how ISPs manage their networks.

"The carriers make money by transporting a lot of data," McAdam said. "And spending a lot of time manipulating this, that accusation is by people that don't really know how you manage a network like this. You don't want to get into that sort of gameplaying."

Actually, I think the opposite is true -- a large number of proponents of a neutral Internet are Internet architects and network engineers themselves. These are people like myself, who have built multiple ISPs and large enterprise networks, and who know exactly how these networks are managed. We know exactly what can be done, and how it can be done, and we know that "gameplaying" is exactly what the big ISPs are after. They are looking to get paid on both ends of the data delivery chain, and they will play all the games they can to ensure that reality comes to pass.

McAdam then moves to a rather odious comparison of the Internet to health care:

"You want to make sure that if somebody is going to have a heart attack, that gets to the head of the line, ahead of a grade schooler that is coming home to do their homework in the afternoon or watch TV. So I think that is coming to realization."
<snip>

http://www.infoworld.com/d/data-center/hey-verizon-were-not-stupid-you-think-we-are-237976?source

[RobertEarl]

1. They have been throttling my stream

If I use "too much" data within a certain time frame my connection cuts off.

You tube videos for instance, will download completely, then my connection is cut. If i get going doing some power surfing some program in the home office gets an alert. Hey, that's my theory. There is enough evidence of it to make it plausible.

They are going to throttle the internet one way or the other. If we let them.

[msongs]

2. your democrat and republican elected politicians are on the side of verizon. sorry bout that nt

[RobertEarl]

5. They are practicing

See how much they can get away with.

What's coming is a satellite based system. With the advanced computerized controls a satellite system requires it is inherent to build in control mechanisms so that access never becomes too cheap too meter.

Presently, the money capital thrown around, a great amount like from my account to theirs, is being used to grease the controllers' influence in DC.

The internet needs to be a non-profit, socialist program much like our road system is. Free to access, pay as you use. I don't mind paying for what I use, I just don't like having arbitrary speed limits set, and being pulled over for no reason. The big, for profit ISP's, are acting just like the speed traps which are setup in some small Florida towns..

[Sheepshank]

3. Not sure if this is realted to the upcoing net nutrality issue

but my cell phone carrier is Verizon.

Last time my 2 year contract was up...I let it go for over 6 months. Nary a peep from them, I thought they were happy to be rid of my family of 5 that does NOT use a data plan, just voice and text.

Time to re-up the phones/contracts again. There are only 2 useless phones that can be used for voice and text, but a myraid of decent phones for which one must also purchase a data plan. My contract is up again and I'm getting inundated with calls and text from Verizon, about being able to upgrade easily to a data plan. Really? Last I checked, the min amount it will cost me is $200/mo (+ $15 or so for taxes) for 2g shared data for 5 phones...I have 3 teens, I can't even imagine the overages. I can't affort the additional $90+/month

I find it interesting that there is a push to get all these data plans and then be subject to Verizon's policies for usage...I feel like we'd be screwn

[redqueen]

4. "Crawford: Why net neutrality matters to you"

If they had to submit to oversight or regulations, let alone actual competition, that would cut into their profits.

...

The court's opinion is about much more than net neutrality. In finding that the FCC must be held to its decision to exempt Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T and Verizon Communications from common carriage obligations, the court says the commission can't require these giants to connect to any other networks, treat new businesses the same as old ones, carry the speech of Americans without altering it, or otherwise refrain from imposing their profit-driven interests.

In the Internet access business, competition cannot replace regulation, because real competition doesn't exist. At the moment the court's ruling came down, I was in my living room in Cambridge, Mass., talking to my friendly Comcast installer. He told me that our mayor had signed an exclusive agreement with Comcast so that no competitors would be allowed in town.

...
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/crawford-why-net-neutrality-matters-to-you-1.6807160

Her book on the subject:
http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300153132