FCC to propose new Internet regs PHILADELPHIA — Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said Thursday he would propose new rules to regulate Internet service providers in much the same way as phone companies, a sharp departure from current practice. The new rules would be designed to protect consumers and could lead to bans on blocking Internet traffic, agency offi cials said. The action is a victory for Internet advocates who have pushed the concept of an “open Internet” and stronger regulations. It is considered a defeat for telecommunications companies with fast-growing Internet divisions. Telecom companies have said new rules would not change how they provide Internet service. But they fear that more federal regulations over how they run their networks could stifl e innovation and lead to higher costs and lower profits in their Internet businesses. Seeking to calm Wall Street and Internet providers, FCC offi cials said they wouldn’t set prices for Internet service or establish draconian rules that could scare away investment into faster Internet speeds. The new rules also wouldn’t extend to Internet content and Web sites, they said.
Not true, ISPs have been choking back speeds and suspending accounts of people that use a lot of bandwidth. Because they own the lines in most places you don't have many options.
I understand, but I also don't want to be screwed by my ISP because I am active on the internet.
I don't call it 'screwed', I call it capitalism. Private business still has the option to charge for services. When they become too expensive, there is usually another option that emerges that is cheaper. That is called competition. Once the government takes over, like the FCC, they can restrict and control private businesses, such as these internet providers as 'they' please.
The government now calls the internet a 'communication' tool instead of and 'informational' tool. That is the first step in the governments power/money control.
Sorry....I'll take my chances with capitalism over government control.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Another type of capping refers to the reported phenomenon of an ISP reducing an individual user's bandwidth cap, without notifying that user, as a defensive measure and/or as a punishment for heavy use, especially for upstream traffic. "Servers" tend to use upstream bandwidth heavily, and violate most service agreements. (Cable and other broadband services tend to be asymmetrical, making upstream capacity scarcer than downstream.) Somehow the ISP detects that the user is an offender — perhaps by analyzing traffic to detect the activity of a server, or perhaps by comparing the user's long-term data rate against an unpublished limit. If a user gets tagged as an offender, then the ISP imposes a lower bandwidth cap upon that user, and/or restricts other services. e.g. NTT Communications in Japan imposes a 30GB/day upload cap with a warning for a first violation and disconnection for repeat offenders.
This I have a problem with. On top of this ISPs sometimes blocked websites from access (and yes this happens in the US). I'm not saying this requires a huge government body to stop, because the population is tech savvy enough to catch companies in the act of doing it. It is not capitalism if I don't have other options, its a monopoly the enemy of capitalism. And I've I'm going to pay for high speed internet, it needs to work HIGH speed. Imagine them turning off your cable because your TV was on too long.
You missed the part where the user was in violation of their service contract. Another type of capping refers to the reported phenomenon of an ISP reducing an individual user's bandwidth cap, without notifying that user, as a defensive measure and/or as a punishment for heavy use, especially for upstream traffic. "Servers" tend to use upstream bandwidth heavily, and violate most service agreements. (Cable and other broadband services tend to be asymmetrical, making upstream capacity scarcer than downstream.) Somehow the ISP detects that the user is an offender — perhaps by analyzing traffic to detect the activity of a server, or perhaps by comparing the user's long-term data rate against an unpublished limit. If a user gets tagged as an offender, then the ISP imposes a lower bandwidth cap upon that user, and/or restricts other services. e.g. NTT Communications in Japan imposes a 30GB/day upload cap with a warning for a first violation and disconnection for repeat offenders.