• The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
Menu
  • The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Federal Trade Commission to Weigh In on Net Neutrality

    August 28, 2006 Timothy Prickett Morgan

    The Federal Trade Commission, the agency of the United States government that regulates commerce as it relates to consumers, announced this week that it would put its two cents in on the so-called “Net Neutrality” issue.

    To simplify somewhat, some people want the Internet to remain a flat space, where no bits get preferential treatment compared to other bits, while others–mainly, the companies that comprise the backbone of the Internet–want to be able to offer tiers of Internet service and charge a premium for faster or better service. The egalitarian nature of the Internet, which was founded on open source software and funded largely by the U.S. government, is obviously in synch with Net Neutrality. Tiered service is perfectly consistent with business practices, but can also lead to a certain kind of censorship–either intentional or not–that many people think is a bad idea.

    Deborah Platt Majoras, who is chairman of the FTC, said in a statement this week that the organization’s Internet Access Task Force would take on the Net Neutrality issue, since lawmakers in Congress and interested parties out there on the Internet, ranging from big software and services providers to telecommunications and cable companies, cannot come to an agreement about how to resolve the issue.

    Those who were expecting the FTC to champion the Net Neutrality cause may have been disappointed by the initial comments made by Platt Majoras. “The FTC’s Internet Access Task Force is looking carefully at the issues raised by calls for network neutrality laws,” she said. “I urge caution in proceeding on the issue. I question the starting assumption that government regulation, rather than the market itself under existing laws, will provide the best solution to a problem.”

    But Platt Majoras also sounded a warning shot across the bow of telcos, cable companies, and other service providers who might think that the lack of Net Neutrality issues means they can turn their bits of the Internet into profit engines.

    “While I am sounding cautionary notes about new legislation, let me make clear that if broadband providers engage in anticompetitive conduct, we will not hesitate to act using our existing authority,” Platt Majoras said. “But I have to say, thus far, proponents of Net Neutrality regulation have not come to us to explain where the market is failing or what anticompetitive conduct we should challenge. We are open to hearing from them.”

    So, don’t just write your members of Congress. Write the chairman of the FTC, too.

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Tags: Tags: mtfh_rc, Volume 15, Number 34 -- August 28, 2006

    Sponsored by
    DRV Technologies, Inc.

    DRV’s FlexTools family of software solutions streamline resources, improve efficiency and enable pro-active system management.

    Solutions include:

    • Convert spooled files to Excel & PDF
    • Automated email distribution & archive
    • Electronic forms to print, email & archive
    • Secure laser check printing
    • IBM i system monitoring

    Better software, better service, DRV Tech.

    Learn how you can get more from your IBM i at www.drvtech.com

    Call 866 378-3366 for a Free Demonstration

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Joblogapalooza, Its Possible Causes, and a Call for Input Undocumented Debugger Function

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

TFH Volume: 15 Issue: 34

This Issue Sponsored By

    Table of Contents

    • IBM Buys Security Expert ISS for $1.3 Billion in Cash
    • Lawson Report Says Compliance Costs More Than You Think
    • Bang for the Buck: Raising the System iQ
    • IBM Debuts New WebSphere Portal 6.0, Slices Prices
    • The Server Market Struggles for Growth in Q2, Says IDC
    • DataMirror Reports Gains in the Second Quarter
    • COMMON Preview: A Few Little Changes, and Some Big Ones in Store
    • Magic Software Reports Financial Slide, Seeks to Regain Form in Europe
    • As I See It: Corporate Tithing
    • Federal Trade Commission to Weigh In on Net Neutrality

    Content archive

    • The Four Hundred
    • Four Hundred Stuff
    • Four Hundred Guru

    Recent Posts

    • The IBM i Power10 Upgrade Cycle Forecast Looks Favorable
    • White Hats Completely Dismantle Menu-Based Security
    • Cloud Software To Drive Enterprise Application Growth
    • How Do You Stay In Touch With The IBM i Community?
    • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 25, Number 6
    • Security Still Top Concern, IBM i Marketplace Study Says
    • Bob Langieri Shares IBM i Career Trends Outlook for 2023
    • Kisco Brings Native SMS Messaging to IBM i
    • Four Hundred Monitor, February 1
    • 2023 IBM i Predictions, Part 4

    Subscribe

    To get news from IT Jungle sent to your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.

    Pages

    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Contributors
    • Four Hundred Monitor
    • IBM i PTF Guide
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe

    Search

    Copyright © 2022 IT Jungle

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.