IP: NYT Digital Commerce: Convergence Raises Concerns About Access

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/01/biztech/articles/31digi.html
>
> January 31, 2000
>
>
> DIGITAL COMMERCE
>
> Convergence Raises Concerns About Access
>
> By DENISE CARUSO
>
> The huge potential power of the proposed AOL Time Warner has applied
> electroshock to the cortex of the convergence industries of information,
> entertainment and communication. One of the biggest jolts is being felt in
> the growing market for high-speed, or broadband, Internet services.
>
> Combining the world's largest Internet service provider with the world's
> largest news, entertainment and cable television megalith has set off
> increasingly urgent discussions about the future of broadband and how best
> to ensure that no single company abuses its control of the Internet's
> infrastructure.
>
> The reasons for urgency are twofold. First is the issue of how to open
> privately owned broadband Internet access to all comers. In addition, the
> free-speech issue arises when any single entity, of any size, controls both
> a transmission medium and the information that flows over it.
>
> Open access is a particular concern. Premerger America Online was in the
> midst of strident lobbying to shame AT&T Corp., which had recently acquired
> the cable giant Tele-Communications, into opening its cable network t>o
> America Online's (or anyone's) customers.

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