Thursday Evening I attended the public hearing held by Free Press at Minneapolis South High School.

Full of dignitaries and speeches, I was impressed by both Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and Senator Al Franken breadth of knowledge on what this highly charged but reasonably simple issue could mean to me, Minnesota and the nation.

I listened to FCC commissioner Michael J. Copps and commissioner Mignon Clyburn.  They are both on board to turn the FCC in the direction of a true consumer advocacy position.

I listened to many impassioned pleas for the FCC to stand up for consumer protection.  Most of the public comments came from community groups and individuals.

Lastly, I was fortunate enough to speak myself and wanted the FCC commissioners to know that not all corporations are opposed to enforced network neutrality.  In fact, this corporation is strongly in favor of it.

This morning, around the foosball table, we had a discussion about net neutrality and what it could mean to have corporations both owning the content and distribution mechanism.  This is something I commented on, tangentially, in January of 2000:

It's scary to think that one company can own the character I love, (Bugs Bunny) owns the studio he's drawn in (Warner Brothers), the cable network he shown one (The Cartoon Network), the cable company I use to view him (Paragon now called Time Warner) and now the Internet access (which I don't use) used to email my niece about his "cwazy antics".  

Is this the final step in the complete homongenization of our media?  I think it's a large step towards that goal.  The final step will be when all the bookstores, radio stations, television stations and even printing presses are owned by one company.

It's also appears to be a dark day for the proponents of openNET.  They're looking at an ever increasingly difficult battle to demand open access to the cable networks.  When Time/Warner had a subsidiary that provided Internet access to their subscribers, it was feasable that a third party such as AOL or Mindspring could gain access to those subscribers via a mutually beneficial arrangement.  All bets are off now that the
parent copany IS a Internet Access provider.

Maybe the question isn't what are the impacts of AOL / Time Warner.
Maybe the question is who will buy AT&T/MediaOne?

That was sent to the Pioneer Press when AOL was about to merge with Time Warner.   The battle OpenNet fought was lost.  The FCC actually went the opposite way and allowed telephone companies to shut out small independent ISPs (like us).  We cannot sell Internet access on the Cable networks and we’re not allowed to sell the new technologies on the Telephone networks.

I think the issues of the content being owned by the distribution network is still a problem.  The issue of consumers getting access to content is the biggest issue the Internet faces.  Technology to deliver that content continues to evolve very rapidly.  As we look back, the major stumbling blocks for consumers to get access to content has been legal or commercial restrictions.  The delivery mechanisms have been in place LONG before the legal battles are resolved.  This is the nature of capitalism.

Still net neutrality is more than just allowing equal access to content for consumers. Its equal access for business and entrepreneurs  who come up with new ideas of how to use networks.  It’s equal access for both sides of the equation, consumer and business.  If I search and find your product online, but when I try to get to your site, it’s slow, I’m moving on.  Without net neutrality, that problem will be exacerbated.

Adjunct to the content access issue are two issues that haven’t been mentioned because they further complicate the issue.  I think they’re rather important.

  • Data Privacy.  All 6 of you who read this blog have heard me talk about this before.  Data privacy goes hand in hand with net neutrality.  If I’m net neutral, I DON’T NEED to know what you’re doing with the delivery network.  But if I’m not net neutral, I kinda gotta know what you’re doing so I can make sure you use my network the way I intend.  And if I know what your doing, then I can generate…
  • Revenue.  Governments across the nations are struggling to balance their budgets and I fear that cable operators and telephone companies will bond together and promise huge rewards in added tax receipts if net neutrality is written out.  Network operators today can easily tell what packets are destined for where without breaking into the data.  Would it be hard for them to “tax” you for your traffic going overseas and promise that revenue to Uncle Sam?

This issue IS the largest issue facing the country right now.  Net neutrality underlies everything.  I URGE the FCC to take Internet service and place it back where it belongs, as a telecommunications service.  Protect consumers and businesses alike by creating a playing field where traffic is safe and secure and equal.

Peace.

Bil