FCC Faces Showdown on Data Roaming Charges

[Brad]

http://us.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/11/30/fcc.net.neutrality/index.html?

[rcjordan]

We're seeing some sort of convergence on several fronts of the net neutrality issue, Brad.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-30/comcast-starts-online-video-toll-booth-netflix-web-partner-level-3-says.html

Debbie^** doesn't feel good about the eventual outcome of flat-priced-access if it is true that Netflix is now consuming 20% of US primetime bandwidth.

^** Debbie = forum shorthand for "gut call" or "intuition."  Drastic says "Two Debbies are rarely wrong."

[rcjordan]

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's aides said he is setting up net neutrality rules—which would bar Internet providers from blocking or slowing legal Internet traffic—for a Dec. 21 vote. The move was widely expected.

Mr. Genachowski's proposal is similar to a compromise reached this fall by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), which would bar Internet providers from discriminating against rival Internet traffic and includes some limited net-neutrality protections on wireless Internet networks.

It's not clear who wins under Mr. Genachowski's proposal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704594804575648043301403732.html

[Brad]

Tricky.  I'm all for user fees in general, especially if one one company is soaking up all the bandwidth.  OTOH I sure would hate it if Comcast would just choke off rival content providers since where I live Comcast has pretty much a monopoly on broadband access.  Must be a happy medium.