05 March 2009

Nutting Net Neutrality

If you thought all that anti-net neutrality stuff was just for Yanks, think again: they're trying to sneak it over here, too:

Telcos are lobbying hard for discriminatory practices in network management to be permited, which threaten the neutrality of the Internet. They are opposed by citizens groups who are calling on MEPs to close the loopholes in the Telecoms Package Second Reading.

Liberty Global is the latest telco to throw its hat in the anti-net neutrality ring, with a statement in support of its colleagues at AT&T and Verizon. In a statement to run with its European Parliament seminar today, Liberty Global calls for limitations on regulatory intervention in respect of ‘network management practices'. The AT&T amendments are about trying to stop European regulators taking the kind of action that the FCC was able to take in the Comcast case, where a netwwork operator was restricting lawful services on the Internet and the FCC told it to stop.

Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty (Global)...

2 comments:

Crosbie Fitch said...

If you read between the lines of the recent BT/Ofcom agreement to allow BT free reign in pricing its network (without the meddling of Ofcom) it effectively gives BT carte blanche to discriminatory pricing - whether based on who's using it, or even what they're using it for (content).

I suspect BT had already obtained a good idea of the greater revenue that might be obtained if it could get rid of Ofcom's interference before people realised (too late
) why they should at all costs remain.

Oh well...

Glyn Moody said...

Good point - thanks.