FTC chief warns against 'unnecessary' Net regulations

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FTC doesn't understand the Internet Architecture: I can't believe, that with all the people they have, they can't understand that market forces do not exist in a monopoly environment.

The difference between the instance of consumer demand that she cites and the reality of the physical net is stark. Facebook has a number of competitors that any or even ALL of its subscribers could move to with only a minimum of discomfort. But, in the case of AT&T and Verizon, et al, the vast majority of us have NO OTHER CHOICE. These Tier 1 network vendors can effectively cut off more than 99% of us without a blink to force us into submission. Probably less than 1% of us can get access from anyone else. That's because no matter what ISP or Cable Company, or WiFi vendor you buy from, THEY get their feed from one of these big providers. So if AT&T decides to block or slow down content practically the entire country gets blocked. Why? Because unless you live in Atlanta or Dallas or LA or KC or Chicago or NY or Denver or one of the other really MAJOR metros, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY WHERE ELSE TO GO.

Frickin? Republicans are getting as bad or worse than Democrats. At least for the lat 100 years everyone has expected lies from the Dems. We know what to expect there. Makes me think there is little to no difference any more.

Dems want us poor and stupid. They want a small economic pie they can control and want all of us at each others' throats so we can't unify and get back to our constitutional roots.

Republicans want us to have opportunities to be rich but still want us stupid so they can tell us where to spends so it will line their pockets and those of their buddies.

Every frickin' Rep (and conservative talk show) went nuts when Clinton pushed Clipper, when they found out about Carnivore and Echelon but they are positively drooling all over themselves about the unconstitutional Patriot Act and the Domestic spying. And the kicker is the Dems are now saying it's a bad idea, while licking their lips for the day they when and can use the new laws and rules for them selves.

Now this whole Net Neutrality thing. Nobody wants to acknowledge that content providers already pay premiums for their bandwidth. True market freedom is to just say, gimme X bandwidth fro X $$$. And leave the relative strengths and weaknesses of the networks to be the deciding factor. That will eventually lead to network actually building competing parallel services. That's what's been happening since the Bell breakup and the telecom act of '96. And now that those standards are being relaxed and changed, the consolidation has begun, competition will suffer and prices will go up.

As evidence AT&T, with the veritable sure-fire approval to acquire Bell South, is already mandating that all it's subordinate companies (SBC, Ameritech, etc.) force their customers over to AT&T services within a "specified" period of time. Their pricing scheme has already been planned to shoot SHARPLY upwards sometime next year. This when we have NEVER HAD MORE UNUSED CAPACITY than we do now. Ever heard of "dark fiber?" Well, most fiber is "dark" or not yet used now.

This has all got to be political/money mumbo jumbo, because no idiot can believe what she said and have an IQ over -12.

Stinking communism or fascism. Different sides of the same coin.; Posted by: _Shayde_ Posted on: 11/06/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use