Friday, May 05, 2006

Assault on the Internet?



The "First Amendment of the Internet" -- Net Neutrality -- is apparently in jeopardy in legislation being considered by Congress. The issues are a bit beyond my range to weigh in heavily on, but here is an (admittedly partisan) huffingtonpost.com explanation of the issues involved by Adam Green. My understanding is that big internet providers are seeking the ability to set up a system in which the more you pay, the more accessible and faster your Website will be for the general public. From one wired.com article explaining this: "Broadband providers such as AT&T, BellSouth and Verizon Communications want to expand from flat pricing and also sell tiers of service based on the speed, reliability and security of the bandwidth used. While those providers have said they would not block access to the open internet, companies that sell products or services online want Congress to adopt stricter safeguards to ensure they are not pushed into a slower lane of the internet if they do not pay more for dedicated network service." Green's post has all sorts of links of interest, to petitions and other things.

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