Another Net Neutrality question...

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: h_bray () globe com
Date: June 1, 2006 11:15:37 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Another Net Neutrality question...

...this one asked in my role as tech reporter.  I'm doing a story on the
matter.  It'll be straight down the middle, no sides taken.  But  
there's an
aspecr of this issue that I haven't seen addressed, and I'm hoping the
hypersmart people on the list can tidy it up for me.

We keep talking about a two-tiered Internet.  I may have helped  
establish
that meme with a story I did on this issue a couple months ago.  But is
that really what's happening?  Can't one just as easily argue that the
"premium" broadband tier isn't really the Internet at all?

Imagine that Verizon, without using the "I" word, had decided to build a
new high-speed private data network to millions of homes.  They'd use  
this
network to carry TV signals, as well as a variety of computer data
services.  The network would use TCP/IP technology, but would run  
entirely
over Verizon's prvately owned hardware.

If Verizon had done such a thing, would anyone argue that the company  
was
obligated to share this network with others, without charging them usage
fees?  Wouldn't we shrug and say that since Verizon spent the billions
needed to build the network, they could do with it as they pleased?

But this is pretty much what's happening now, isn't it?  This second  
tier
of Internet service is really more like a private network.  It's not so
much a bifurcation of the Internet, but a complete departure from it.
Looked at that way, why shouldn't the broadband providers charge use  
fees
to other data services?




Hiawatha Bray
Technology Reporter
Boston Globe
135 Morrissey Blvd.
P.O. Box 55819
Boston, MA 02205-5819 USA
617-929-3119 voice
617-929-3183 fax
617-233-9419 cell
bray () globe com
watha () monitortan com
Recent writings: www.boston.com/business/technology/bray



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