The version of net neutrality the Internet companies are pushing, by contrast, only requires maintaining the status quo by prohibiting broadband providers from changing the way they currently price their services.This is a point that is often omitted from stories about net neutrality. Opponents of net neutrality often try to make out that net neutrality is some innovation that is being imposed on them. History shows quite the opposite: the big telcos and cablecos lobbied the FCC to get rid of net neutrality. Until August 2005, when the FCC changed its rules, we had net neutrality. The only reason we need legislation now to put it back is because of that event. Fortunately, the public is becoming wise to the need for net neutrality.— Skype's Wireless FCC Petition An Uphill Battle, Winning a more open cellular infrastructure will prove a daunting challenge. Robert Poe, VoIPNews, March 2nd, 2007
The article elaborates:
Perhaps more important, there's no significant groundswell of public opinion that might justify all the work on the part of the FCC, cellular carriers, vendors and others that Skype's proposal would necessitate. The grass-roots clamor for terrestrial net neutrality rules stems in large part from a broad-based and urgent determination to maintain the current nature of the Internet, in which no one has to pay extra to ensure that their services get delivered with minimal delay.Seems simple enough to me.
-jsq
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