

FCC reportedly close to reclassifying ISPs as common carriers - doctorshady
http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/10/fcc-reportedly-close-to-reclassifying-isps-as-common-carriers

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kfcm

      The plan now under consideration would separate broadband into two distinct 
      services: a retail one, in which consumers would pay broadband providers 
      for Internet access; and a back-end one, in which broadband providers 
      serve as the conduit for websites to distribute content.  The FCC would then 
      classify the back-end service as a common carrier, giving the agency the 
      ability to police any deals between content companies and broadband providers.
    
    

At first glance, this looks bad. Really, really bad.

The Internet was based upon the concept that each node would be both a
producer and consumer of content. And as speeds for the end-user have
increased, truly becomes feasible (especially as FTTP becomes more common).

What this proposal does instead is play into the hands of the cable industry
and their view of the Internet is a broadcast mechanism, and the consumers as
primarily passive consumers and not really producers or highly interactive.

What's really needed is more competition. Unfortunately, the only entities
with the capital which can provide that competition are munis. Private
investors and other entities don't really seem to care that much about this.

