[olug] Net neutrality wins! (for now, anyway)

[T. J. Brumfield]

Less choice in ISPs?

You do realize that currently 40% of Americans only have one choice in
broadband currently? And for people who have a choice, often it isn't one.
My currently choices are CenturyLink at 3 Mb top speed or Cox. That
technically counts as a choice, but it isn't.

Currently ISPs intentionally don't compete with each other so they can
illegally collude to keep speeds down and prices up.

Title II opens the door for new companies to come in and compete.

You think calling Comcast will fix things? Comcast actively trains their
employees to give bad customer service intentionally. Perhaps you missed
the entries in the news lately where they've changed customer names on
accounts to "Cunt" unapologetically because they know customers can't do
anything about it.

http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/08/leaked-comcast-employee-metrics-show-what-we-figured-sell-or-perish/

And complaining to the FCC has proved effective. Comcast was throttling P2P
and lying about it. People complained to Comcast, and they responded by
lying to their customers and telling them to fuck off. That really starting
this whole net neutrality debate. Comcast never did right by their
customers and the FCC stepped in to fix it. Customers were complaining that
hotels were blocking mobile wifi hotspot devices. Hotels didn't do right by
consumers and complaining to them didn't help. But someone complained to
the FCC, and the FCC stepped in and fixed it, protecting consumers.

I'm anti-government as they come. Title II is not massive regulation. It is
necessary common sense consumer protections.

If you truly believe you can call up Comcast/Time Warner/Verizon and
they'll take care of you, I encourage you to try it sometime.

There is a reason Comcast is currently ranked as the worst company in
America, and Time Warner is ranked the 2nd worse.

On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 9:25 AM, Bill Brush <bbrush at gmail.com> wrote:

> I've worked in the public sector, and still do.  Nothing good will
> come of this.  Some things need to be managed in common, but this is
> not one of them. It will lead to less choice of ISP as the small and
> medium providers fold up as the regulatory and compliance load makes
> their business model unprofitable.  Access and speed will degenerate
> to the mandated minimums, as there will be no incentive to provide
> more.  Prices will go up in response to regulatory and compliance
> costs.
>
> If you think dealing with Comcast is bad, try calling up the fed.gov
> to complain about their customer server.  Oh that's right, you can't
> because you'll never find anyone who's responsible for that person.
>
> The new internet,  all the efficiency of the DMV, and all the customer
> focus of the IRS.
>
> Bill
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 6:58 PM, Lou Duchez <lou at paprikash.com> wrote:
> > Followup on previous topic ...
> > ---
> >
> > The FCC voted in favor of the Open Internet Order, new net neutrality
> rules
> > that would prohibit paid Internet paid fast lanes, and reclassify
> broadband
> > providers as telecommunication services under the Title II of the
> > Telecommunications Act, among other regulations.
> >
> > The rules were passed by a 3-2 vote along party lines, with Commissioners
> > Ajut Pai and Michael O’Rielly (Republicans) voting against the measure
> and
> > Commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Jessica Rosenworcel and Commission Chairman
> > Tom Wheeler (Democrats) voting in favor of the order.
> >
> > It is a landmark decision for net neutrality advocates, and ensures that
> net
> > neutrality expands to mobile platforms, and that innovation will not be
> > disrupted by an Internet fast lane vs. Internet slow lane (with different
> > costs).
> >
> > “The action that we take today is an irrefutable reflection of the
> principle
> > that no one — whether government or corporate — should control free open
> > access to the Internet,” Chairman Wheeler stated prior to the vote.
> >
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"I'm questioning my education
Rewind and what does it show?
Could be, the truth it becomes you
I'm a seed, wondering why it grows"
-- Pearl Jam, Education