
Trump’s FCC: Tom Wheeler to be replaced, set-top box reform could be dead - distantsounds
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/11/trumps-fcc-tom-wheeler-to-be-replaced-set-top-box-reform-could-be-dead/
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hood_syntax
Just kill me now: "Top down power grab" my ass. The one guy punching up for
consumers is gonna be out, I didn't even realize that... Dark days for
internet in the US.

~~~
prasadjoglekar
The subtitle of the article is: "Democrats' last-minute rulemakings could be
easily reversed once GOP takes over."

That's the problem with executive rule making - changes in the executive lead
to changes to the rules. If the rule was not made by consensus, why expect its
repeal to be by consensus either?

~~~
MrZongle2
Agreed. Whenever President Obama would make an "end-run around Congress" by
signing a new Executive Order, _nobody_ should have been cheering it because
each EO can be easily nullified by a successor.

Consensus is neither easy nor guaranteed to generate a result that makes all
parties equally happy. But it _is_ more likely to prevent radical changes in
the future.

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plandis
I wonder if Trump supporters will care iF he really does appoint FCC chair in
favor of big business over citizens?

Do the majority of Americans even know what the FCC is or does?

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pinkrooftop
The majority of Americans see free data for streaming video and music from a
carrier's partner as a feature.

They look no further into it

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scarface74
Who cares if set top box reform dies? Government worrying about cable settop
boxes in the age of streaming boxes and services like SlingTV is as silly as
worrying about desktop browser monopolies in the age of mobile.

I have six tvs all with some type of streaming box and all of my video comes
over the internet. I would have had to pay $60/month for set top boxes if I
had go with cable. I pay $50 a month for Sling, Hulu and Netflix and I have
Amazon Prime.

The market is working.

~~~
techdragon
Those streaming devices won't help much if the FCC doesn't stop your <local
monopoly ISP> from kneecapping Netflix, Amazon, etc by trying to profit both
ways... we all know the rest of the net neutrality speech.

Interesting times ahead.

~~~
scarface74
Luckily, I had two choices for unlimited high speed internet - Comcast
business - $120 for 50/10 - and AT&T Gigapower (1000/1000) for $70/month.

With Google still nipping at AT&Ts heel in my area, hopefully it will keep
everyone honest.

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walshemj
To many important civil service positions are at the whim of the president all
bar the cabinet and SPADS (Special Advisors) etc should be career civil
servant. It would alos clean out the swamp to use his phrase.

The recent clusterF with the FBI is another example of a political place man
failing grossly

