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The Federal Trade Commission has weighed in on Net Neutrality and it doesn’t look good.  Net Neutrality is an idea that does not give any user with the same type of connection to the internet any higher priority than another.  The FTCs Internet Access Task Force has issued a report called “Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy”.  One of the items mentioned in this 170 page report is that policy makers may cause harm if enact laws that set a level playing ground for consumers.
“In the absence of significant market failure or demonstrated consumer harm, policy makers should be particularly hesitant to enact new regulation in this area,” FTC Chair Deborah Platt Majoras wrote.  She goes on,  “The primary reason for caution is simply that we do not know what the net effects of potential conduct by broadband providers will be on all consumers, including, among other things, the prices that consumers may pay for Internet access, the quality of Internet access and other services that will be offered, and the choices of content and applications that may be available to consumers in the marketplace,” Majoras said.

It seems that the agency set out to protect us from big business may be protecting big business.  That may not be all true.  The FTC warns of the pitfalls of setting a law that mandates all connections equal.  It does not make those rules, lawmakers do.  It also does not mention that big business will increase costs for a better connection…but BB is who thought of this idea in the first place.

Enjoy this while you can. Who knows where this is going.

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The Federal Trade Commission has weighed in on Net Neutrality and it doesn’t look good.  Net Neutrality is an idea that does not give any user with the same type of connection to the internet any higher priority than another.  The FTCs Internet Access Task Force has issued a report called “Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy”.  One of the items mentioned in this 170 page report is that policy makers may cause harm if enact laws that set a level playing ground for consumers.
“In the absence of significant market failure or demonstrated consumer harm, policy makers should be particularly hesitant to enact new regulation in this area,” FTC Chair Deborah Platt Majoras wrote.  She goes on,  “The primary reason for caution is simply that we do not know what the net effects of potential conduct by broadband providers will be on all consumers, including, among other things, the prices that consumers may pay for Internet access, the quality of Internet access and other services that will be offered, and the choices of content and applications that may be available to consumers in the marketplace,” Majoras said.

It seems that the agency set out to protect us from big business may be protecting big business.  That may not be all true.  The FTC warns of the pitfalls of setting a law that mandates all connections equal.  It does not make those rules, lawmakers do.  It also does not mention that big business will increase costs for a better connection…but BB is who thought of this idea in the first place.

Enjoy this while you can. Who knows where this is going.

addpile del.icio.us digg it slashdot