Net Neutrality – PBS NOW Part 1/2
Is the wild west culture of the Internet about to become a thing of the past? Big business is staking its claim on the information superhighway, lobbying Congress for an exclusive faster lane, which consumers could end up paying for. This week on NOW we look at a major battle brewing in Washington D.C. over the future of the Internet.
We follow the story of Blip.tv, an ambitious video-streaming startup. They’re fighting for a corner of the Internet marketplace in the midst of a battle over so-called ‘net neutrality’ — the idea that all Internet content and websites are given the same access to audiences and customers.
If telecommunication giants have their way, companies like Blip.tv might be forced to compete in a marketplace wherein firms with large coffers can buy access to greater bandwidth and faster Internet speeds, leaving sites who can’t afford to pay in the slow lane.
Craig Aaron of Free Press, a media watchdog group, says big telecom companies have declared open season on ‘Net neutrality.’ He’s afraid these companies will dictate how we use the Internet.
“I think one of the beauties of the Internet is that it’s been open to views across the political spectrum. And if you hand the control of the information so that some can be preferred over others, you’re going to be handing that control to the big media companies that already control our television, airwaves, radio, you name it,” Aaron says.
For their part, telecom companies argue that a fast lane on the Internet for those willing to pay will allow them to make a return on their multibillion-dollar investment in broadband infrastructure. At present, companies such as Verizon and AT&T only charge for access to the Internet, but make virtually no money from content.
“It’s just, by the way, the same reason why we take 18 wheeler semi-trailers and make them pay more in federal highway taxes than someone who drives their family in a mini-van: because they are putting more load on the infrastructure and therefore should pay a higher rate,” says Mike McCurry, head of Hands Off the Internet.
His group, backed by a number of telecom companies, says that many web companies are making billions off the Internet but are not willing to pitch in to upgrade its infrastructure. The telecom companies have launched an aggressive, multi-million dollar advertising campaign against web giants such as Google and Amazon arguing “they don’t want to pay for anything.”
Those who support net neutrality — including a broad coalition of consumer groups, higher education organizations, special interests, and Internet companies — say the telecoms just want to increase their profits. They fear that the proposed two-tiered Internet would kill a democratic marketplace wherein small businesses compete on an equal footing with giants of commerce.
Duration : 0:7:8
[youtube j668eaTvCrE]
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
@ …
@QustionAuthority1506 The Fairness Doctrine allowed the FCC to hold news media accountable for their content. Specifically, it ensured the media would present multiple viewpoints. In other words, the Fairness Doctrine did regulate content presented by the content providers. Net Neutrality is totally different: It ensures that the Internet Service Provider (ISP) does not regulate the interaction between YOU and content providers (ex: Youtube, Yahoo Mail, Google News, Ebay, etc).
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
do you want …
do you want websites like this to disappear because they have opposing viewpoints? the internet is not controlled by the government. they dont provide the service and they sure as dont regulate it, yet. if that was the case what the would be the point of passing net neutrality? currently, the average person has more freedom on the internet than anywhere else. how would passing a law to regulate it make it more free than it is already?
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Question authority, …
Question authority,
The Internet is alreadyunder the control of the government. The debate on net neutrality is whether it’s going to stay that way. Net neutrality means anyone can use the Internet. Currently I am satified with how the Internet works. Do you want to pay more to use websites like this?
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
the thing with net …
the thing with net neutrality, which many people don’t realize, is that if it passes, the Internet will come under control of the GOVERNMENT. considering the whole social justice/fairness doctrine scene going down right now, federal regulation witll kill the internet faster than any corporation could.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
The internet is …
The internet is getting creaky, GUYS.
GTFO MY INTERNET YOU WASTE OF BANDWIDTH.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
hahaha noone can …
hahaha noone can control shit… modom hack baby modem hack!
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
oh hey you responed …
oh hey you responed… well i guess i did lol oh well have a good day
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Are you used to …
Are you used to responding to five month old comments…?
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
yall sound like a …
yall sound like a bunch of women lol
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Wow that would be …
Wow that would be freaking terrible if they get away with this shit, it sucks cause its hard to believe that the guys with all of the money wont be the ones getting there way.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
WHAT A FUCK!
WHAT A FUCK!
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
I’m no HOOK either. …
I’m no HOOK either. You’re the one who’s opening the ‘right side’ of the dialogue box, which I looked up myself because I knew for a fact you didn’t have a clue what it meant.
I know you don’t have a clue, because you’re the one who’s opening it up. YOU started calling names, YOu are the one who’s not open to new ideas… I mean, comeon, you’re calling random people on youtube Ann Cappelletti, or some minion of hers, who you call a witch…
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
whatever, sonic, …
whatever, sonic, the right hand side of the
dialogue box dropped off. You may not be a
Cappelletti witch, but you are a HOOK.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
This is exactly …
This is exactly what I meant on the other page. You keep accusing random people you meet of being witches.
Well, actually, you accused me of killing a son, who doesn’t exist, with witchcraft. Seriously, do something better with your life other than accussing people and cursing them to Hell. You certainly wouldn’t get into any kind of Heaven that way.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
ariakokom, hi, …
ariakokom, hi, joyce cappelletti, you totally evil bitch, burn in hell.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
You are being …
You are being reported for use of spam bot.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Ann Cappelletti, …
Ann Cappelletti, conjured up Katrina. She has been practicing black magic witchcraft for 67 and has quite a following. What she couldn’t do herself, she paid another witch to do. Now, Ann’s powers are gone, Sabrina, who does God’s work, took away Ann’s witch powers, now she must pay other witches to do her evil conjuring, ie burning the Deutche bldg in the Wall St area.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
when someone learns …
when someone learns the truth and posts it, you freak out and say, he or she is crazy. There are many more than just me who have seeked the truth from whatever means, he or she could. It is only a matter of time, aria, cabalist.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
aria, twit, think …
aria, twit, think about why are participating in the Ann, Joyce, John Cappelletti cabal of paid posters.
11 Master occultists, witches & masons: Bush, Cheney, Ann Cappelletti, Tenet, Con D. Rice, Giuliani, Bill Gates, Silverstein, Schwartzenegger, Soros & Saddam Hussein (who is not dead-CIA lie) with David Copperfield created the illusion of 91101, no planes, just an illusion. John (witch) Cappelletti planted the explosives in the WTC for Silverstein.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
What kind of …
What kind of drug-induced gang rape have you been participating?
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
ariakokoschka,
…
ariakokoschka,
everyone knows people are doing witchcraft in the 21st century. That is why the end of the world is near. Almighty God is so at you witches. Remember the first commandment. Eve got kicked out of Paradise for picking the witchcraft fruit. God created Adam and Eve, every other being came from the earth, evolution.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
arjak, almost …
arjak, almost everyone knows there are witches out there, especially all the cappellettis. No one can hurt me with evil, ie, witchcraft. I have a shield of angels around me. You on the other hand have a sword of demons. You can not hurt me anymore.
But, you can hurt yourself or animals. Fat Ann broke Barabaro’s leg w witchcraft so that the Jacksons oculd put him down for the insurance. Fat ann got $1 million for that, I suppose the Jacksons got $2 million.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
arjak, you are one …
arjak, you are one of the witches cappelletti or one the witch cappelletti followers. Bobby Williams learned john put a curse on him. I is only a matter of time that Joe Theisman, Carl Schaukowitz, Joe Paterno, Dan Marino, learn that John Cappelletti put a curse on him. Probably John put a curse on Anne Littlewood, too. There were also girls in Long Beach he screwed and on whom put curses. If I remember their names, I will post them.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
drugs? Because you …
drugs? Because you Cappellettis & followers are witches, have with meetings in the witch holidays, conveniently note on witch websites, do you not get that there are about 20% of the populations are witches, and 50% of the people who post on youtube are witches, or witches in training. Ann Cappelletti pays all of you. She is the aunt of GW Bush, and was a super witch until, Sabrina took away her witch powers.
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Get off the …
Get off the drugs. You should have figured that out in the high school.