- Sep 26, 2000
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12046874
Controversial new rules affecting the running of the internet are expected to be approved by US regulators today.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on a principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.
Officials said the regulations are "the first time the Commission has adopted enforceable rules" to govern the web.
Tuesday's vote is the culmination of five years of fighting over how best to ensure the free flow of information in all its forms over the internet.
The proposal also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly accessing the web via smart phones and turning to the internet to watch TV shows.
The new regulations would prohibit telecommunications companies that provide high-speed internet service from blocking access by customers to any legal content, applications or service.
But, for the first time, there will be a policy that will allow for what has been termed "paid-prioritisation", where companies will be able to pay for a faster service.
They saying they can't slow down torrents, for instance, but can speed up any website that pays them? Isn't that basically saying that eventually they can offer slow speeds except for those that pay for a decent speed?
The way I read it is the internet providers can just price their current speeds higher and higher, but give the consumer a slight discount to take a slower speed, while the internet provider makes money from the websites to just give the consumer the speed they had before from those sites.
Which basically means the era of the free internet is OVER today.
Controversial new rules affecting the running of the internet are expected to be approved by US regulators today.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on a principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.
Officials said the regulations are "the first time the Commission has adopted enforceable rules" to govern the web.
Tuesday's vote is the culmination of five years of fighting over how best to ensure the free flow of information in all its forms over the internet.
The proposal also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly accessing the web via smart phones and turning to the internet to watch TV shows.
The new regulations would prohibit telecommunications companies that provide high-speed internet service from blocking access by customers to any legal content, applications or service.
But, for the first time, there will be a policy that will allow for what has been termed "paid-prioritisation", where companies will be able to pay for a faster service.
They saying they can't slow down torrents, for instance, but can speed up any website that pays them? Isn't that basically saying that eventually they can offer slow speeds except for those that pay for a decent speed?
The way I read it is the internet providers can just price their current speeds higher and higher, but give the consumer a slight discount to take a slower speed, while the internet provider makes money from the websites to just give the consumer the speed they had before from those sites.
Which basically means the era of the free internet is OVER today.