Fighting for freedom on the Internet
Telecom Report: Fighting for freedom on the Internet - Internet Services - Telecommunications - Internet - Fiber Optics - Economy: "WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Should Web surfers be allowed to go to any Internet site they want, use their computers to make free phone calls or download big video files without paying extra?Millions of Americans who connect to the Internet can do all those things now, and in all likelihood, they'll be able to do those things in the future. To make sure of that, Congress has been working on proposals to enshrine the right of "Net neutrality" into law.
The push for such a law has been triggered in part by several isolated cases of network operators blocking customers from using Internet-phone service. Earlier this year, federal regulators fined Madison River Communications after the Mebane, N.C.-based company blocked traffic from Vonage, a supplier of Internet-phone service.
"Consumers should be able to go wherever they want to go on the Web whenever they want to," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a group dedicated to preserving "open access" to communications systems.
Determining what should remain open and available to all, however, is not as easy as it sounds. Critics question whether any legislation is needed at all."
posted by Jen @ 6:38 am
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