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Save the Internet!

There’s a certain commercial that’s been recently making the rounds on almost every TV channel and let me tell ya, it’s got me pissed. First of all, let me point out that it’s an advertisement paid for by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. Yeah, it’s the same guys who already charge people an arm and a leg for the same services that people in other countries pay much less for.

Understandably so, a lot of people don’t know what Net Neutrality is. Even less have probably even heard of it, or care about how it affects them. But this is an issue that affects all users of the Internet, not just Americans. A huge part of the Internet backbone is maintained by companies here in the US; what they do with their services propagates throughout the entire ‘net. Letting AT&T and Verizon chare Google, YouTube and other content providers more money simply because they use more bandwidth is wrong. Google isn’t out to take over the world, just change it. And as a long-time user, I can’t recall a single time that I’ve been charged for using any of Google’s services. The same goes for YouTube — do you think they’d be the video juggernaut they are now if the cost of bandwidth had increased proportionately with their usage?

The bottom line is that people need to be educated about this issue, and need to make their thoughts known. Check out the very educational video over at Save the Internet! and learn about what’s really going on. And when you’re done, take the time to sign the petition and contact your local lawmakers.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 19th, 2006 at 11:01 am and is filed under Science and Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “Save the Internet!”

Carlos Says:
December 19th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
I got a response back from Senator Feinstein! It’s somewhat canned and no doubt sent by a staff member, but still nice to know that someone in Washington, D.C. actually reads their email:

Thank you for writing to me about open access to the Internet and network neutrality. I appreciate hearing from you.

I agree with the general principles of network neutrality that owners of the networks that provide access to the Internet should not control how consumers lawfully use that network and should not be able to discriminate against content provider access to that network.

As Congress debates changes to our telecommunications laws this year, many different proposals have been offered regarding network neutrality. The question arises whether or not action is needed to ensure unfettered access to the Internet. I believe any workable solution must balance the needs of the network, service and information providers. Please know that when legislation regarding network neutrality comes before the Senate I will be sure to keep your specific views in mind.

Again, thank you for writing. If you should have any comments or questions, I hope you will feel free to contact my Washington, DC staff at (202) 224-3841.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Carlos Says:
December 20th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Make that two responses; this one’s from Congresswoman Susan Davis:

Thank you for taking the time to support protecting internet accessibility for all people in the United States. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

I share your commitment to ensuring that Americans have access to a broad array of Internet services at a reasonable cost. In society today, the Internet is an invaluable tool for communication, business, education, and other pursuits. Those who are unable to take advantage of the benefits of Internet access suffer a clear disadvantage in each of these arenas. I also agree with you that network neutrality is an important issue with particular relevance to the regulation of broadband internet access. It suggests that to maximize human welfare, information networks ought to be as neutral as possible between competing content, applications and services.

Since its inception, the Internet has offered unprecedented promise as a democratic and accessible medium. Rest assured, I share your view that this history of accessibility must be preserved for the sake of consumers. I will watch the progress on this issue closely, and I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind should I have the opportunity to vote on any relevant legislation in the House.