Hammer drops at last: FCC opposes Comcast P2P throttling

danarhea · 07-27-08, 12:20 AM

In a ruling that spells good news for net neutrality, the FCC has ruled that Comcast is in violation of its 2005 Internet Policy Statement, which contains four embedded principles:

Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice
Consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement
Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network
Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers

Comcast is going to be fined for throttling bit torrent downloads, but many politicians are still pushing hard for the end of net neutrality, and are also pushing for a packaging scheme, similar to cable, that would limit choices. Cox Cable in Canada is experimenting with a packaging scheme now, and Comcast has also been lobbying hard, although no programming has yet been implemented.

When you vote this fall, know where your candidate stands on internet neutrality, and if he fails the test, vote for his opponent, no matter what political party he is a member of. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is an American issue. Now I know that some of you Democrats might not like voting for a Republican, and vice versa, but you are going to have to put partisanship aside, and just do it. If you can't, then don't blame me if, sometime in the future, your ability to access the internet is limited to this:

Here is the link.

obvious Child · 07-27-08, 12:32 AM

McCain - Opposes
McCain Opposes Net Neutrality

Obama - Supports
Obama Promises To Reinstate Net Neutrality During First Year In Office

I wouldn't have a problem with net neutrality if we have pricing schemes and speeds that are commonly seen in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
For truly mind blowing average speeds, go to Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test. On the website they have comparison data from around the world. Seoul has on average 8,000 kb/s. The slowest in Tokyo is 16,714 kb/s. Comcast, one of the largest ISP in America has a crap rate of 5,000 kb/s which on good days is really 3,000 kb/s.

Americans are paying exorbitant rates for extremely slow broadband. Ending net neutrality will make this even worse.

Hatuey · 07-27-08, 12:45 AM

After typing 'Obama on Net Neutrality' in Google.

Network Neutrality | U.S. Senator Barack Obama

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrack Obama

"It is because the Internet is a neutral platform that I can put out this podcast and transmit it over the Internet without having to go through any corporate media middleman. I can say what I want without censorship or without having to pay a special charge.

But the big telephone and cable companies want to change the Internet as we know it. They say that they want to create high speed lanes on the Internet and strike exclusive contractual agreements with Internet content providers for access to those high speed lanes.

Everyone who cannot pony up the cash will be relegated to the slow lanes."

I've searched McCain on this issue but the only relevant source I could find on it said this :

The Daily Background McCain comes out against Net Neutrality; Says would hire Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Quote:

“I'm all for the government encouraging competition, but I've found over time that less government involvement is better.” In one publicized case which critics say was an example of ISP censorship, AOL censored email sent by their users which included links to the anti-AOL website DearAOL.com. After there was an outcry on the internet, AOL later claimed the censorship was unintentional and that a technical glitch somehow only effected emails including the URL.

“Unless there is a clear-cut, unequivocal restraint of competition, the government should stay out of it,” McCain said. “These things will sort themselves out.”

Where Obama has made his position that companies shouldn't be telling their consumers what to say, think or do because they are paying to use the service in a fully legal manner McCain has taken a non confrontational stance. Saying that the government should not be involved. Should internet providers force people to surf the internet how the companies want to? Or should the internet remain a free space where we're all allowed to speak our minds and do what we want as long as it's fully legal?

P/N · 07-27-08, 05:53 AM

I'm all for net neutrality and I hope they stick it to Comcast big time, but my vote is more important than just one issue, as should be yours.

Zyphlin · 07-27-08, 12:22 PM

This is +1 for Obama in my book, one of the few things he's done that does that.

I agree with McCain, less government involvement IS typically better. HOWEVER, it is the governments fault that this monopoly exists in the first place. And the only two viable options right now is to destroy the monopoly or enforce net neutrality. Politicians on all sides are refusing to do the first, so the only likely option is Net Neutrality at present. Hopefully that will change in the future, but for now, any politician that supports the BI-PARTISAN (getting the NRA and the ACLU on the same page even) piece of legislature gets a bonus in my book

danarhea · 08-02-08, 02:57 PM

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has made available a software package, called Switzerland, which you can use to test your ISP, and find out if it is illegally throttling your bit torrent connections.

The site is here.

PeteEU · 08-03-08, 07:03 AM

Thats what you get for not investing in your own infrastructure.

According to the OECD, the average price in the US is about 53 dollars. Almost every Western European country (with exception of Norway.. but then again everything in Norway is expensive), have lower prices and that includes countries like Portugal who also have low internet penetration compared to the US. Even a country like Turkey, who has the lowest broadband penetration in Europe, has lower average prices than the US (granted only by 3 dollars but still lower). This shows a very sick market in the US.

Something is seriously wrong with the US market considering its now the second biggest internet market on the planet after China and is supposedly the "leader" on internet technology.

Capping usage is just a stop gap measure and excuse by companies not to invest in their own infrastructure.

The OECD reports are here

OECD Broadband Portal

The 2005 DSL coverage numbers kinda prove the issue.. 78% in the US vs 90%+ in most of Europe.

Zyphlin · 08-03-08, 09:30 AM

Pete, research please, research. If you're going to act like big American expert, may want to be sure about that.

First, the government does invest in infastructure through subsidies to the Telecomm's to lay down fiber networks.

Second, your chart doesn't include Comcast, which is talked about here, or COX or Verizon's FiOS. These are Cable broadband providers, not DSL providers, and they are wide spread in the U.S. as well. Just showing DSL usage is like telling us how many cars are on the road while leaving out info about trucks, SUV's, and motorcycles, and acting like its an accurate representation.

PeteEU · 08-03-08, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zyphlin

Pete, research please, research. If you're going to act like big American expert, may want to be sure about that.

First, the government does invest in infastructure through subsidies to the Telecomm's to lay down fiber networks.

Second, your chart doesn't include Comcast, which is talked about here, or COX or Verizon's FiOS. These are Cable broadband providers, not DSL providers, and they are wide spread in the U.S. as well. Just showing DSL usage is like telling us how many cars are on the road while leaving out info about trucks, SUV's, and motorcycles, and acting like its an accurate representation.

Actually the stats are for "Braodband", which includes cable. Its not only for DSL. If you look at the bottom of the page, you see that they even split up the 2 two to show the difference.

OECD Broadband Subscriber Criteria

shows that it does include Cable.. hell even Fiber optic.. so yes it does include Comcast and all those you list.

Broadband is 256kbits a second and over connection regardless on how those connections are made.

So you need to do research.. not me

Zyphlin · 08-03-08, 12:00 PM

Pete, from your specific excel graph:

"1. Data for the United States is an average for Verizon, SBC, Bell South, Qwest, Sprint, Alltel, Cincinnati Bell, Centurytel and ACS."

That completely leaves out I think just about every single major cable internet provider in terms of its "average".

Sorry, but nope, you're wrong. The first thing you quoted was ONLY DSL stuff and it shows specifically what U.S. things it used.

The second thing you posted was how it defines "Broadband". Notice, Cable and DSL are two distinctly different categories. Also notice your graph which is the "DSL Coverage" graph is specifically for DSL.