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Now There Are Two Net Neutrality House Bills

Congressional Net Neutrality proponents appear to be taking a multi-pronged approach to passing legislation to cement what many call the First Amendment of the Internet, a moniker that may oversimplify it a bit. Two days after Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) Internet Freedom and Preservation Act was debated in the House Energy Committee, Representatives John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) re-introduce the Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act.

On Trust and Net Neutrality

The Network Neutrality debate is, to understate it, heated. On one side are ideals, on the other side is money, which is not a new dichotomy in any sense, and both can be equally powerful motivators*. Also, while passion tends to color an issue (sometimes incorrectly), economic theory tends to mire subscribers in stubborn dogma.Neither side wants to budge for fear of losing, or for fear of the embarrassment of choosing the wrong team.

Broadband Carriers Blow Off Net Neutrality Meeting

Unlike a previous open FCC hearing where Comcast helped fill seats in the audience, neither they nor anyone else from the big broadband carriers showed up for the second hearing.

Comcast Not Attending FCC Hearing

Pick a clever intro: Comcast won't be tarred and feathered willingly; Comcast is taking its ball and going home; Comcast can't stand the heat and won't be going near the kitchen; Comcast won't lie in the bed it's made; Comcast will just hold its breath till it turns blue.I like this one:Comcast to FCC: Screw you guys; I'm going home.

When They Turn On The Grid, Neutrality Matters

The future, probably without the flying cars, the one you see in the movies with holograms, with instant and ubiquitous informational access and unbelievable computer processing capabilities, isn't too far off. It won't be built on the current Internet, though. The Internet is totally 20th Century. The red button on the Grid will be pushed this summer, and will change everything—again.

Comcast Working With BitTorrent

Taking a less heavy-handed approach than the outright blocking of BitTorrent traffic, Comcast announced the company has begun negotiating ways for simultaneous existence. The announcement comes at a time when Comcast desperately needs to diffuse public, regulatory, and legislative concerns about Network Neutrality.There's also the Time Warner WiMax deal to think about.

Verizon's Proud Of Its Slowness

Verizon's very excited that 12 eastern states now officially have access to its "new ulra-fast" 7 megabits per second High Speed Internet Service. The issued a very excited-sounding press release about it. The release is maybe limited to a few US states because if released in Hong Kong, they'd just laugh at them.  

Comcast Is Blocktastic

Here's some news to make you feel icky all over: Comcast paid disinterested uninterested squatters and employees to fill up the room at the FCC hearing at Harvard Law. With supporters and ambivalent attendees taking up real estate 90 minutes beforehand, protestors were unable to enter the building.

Sound Bites From The Comcast Hearing

Yesterday's FCC "hearing" to discuss Comcast's interference with BitTorrent traffic was more "dogpile on the cable shill." Comcast chose executive VP David Cohen as the bullet-catcher/gauntlet-runner/sacrificial lamb, and Verizon sent its own executive VP, Tom Tauke, presumably for moral support.

Stakes Are High For Comcast Hearing

Cable is on course to be the next decade's dial-up. With limited capacity, cable companies are in a pickle: manipulate network traffic like Comcast has been doing (which customers and perhaps the government won't stand for) or go back to metered pricing, which is going back ten years in business model, like Time Warner has done, which customers ultimately won't stand for, especially as more competition comes around.