Cringely's Take on Net Neutrality
April 9, 2007 – 8:46 amNoted tech commentator Robert Cringely explains why Net Neutrality is going away:
For the record, I am strongly in favor of network neutrality even if I see it as a fading hope. For the moment most ISPs have signed on to this notion, but I am here to tell you that’s not going to be the case long-term. The big ISP’s have long planned for the end of net neutrality and, whether it is next year or five years from now, most ISPs are ready.
This is a point I make in my Only Connect paper. Whether we think differential treatment of packets is good or bad, it’s going to happen. Focusing on discrimination, as opposed to robust interconnection, creates the misleading impression that a perfect network of dumb pipes will exist in the real world.
2 Responses to “Cringely's Take on Net Neutrality”
Cringley is correct, but I believe that the only ISPs that will remain will be those suppling the last mile to the consumer, who just happen to be the big propenents of a tiered Internet. This is a partial result of AT&T and Verizon eating their competition and therefore killing any intermodal competition. Consumers will not pay AT&T for DSL service then also pay AOL(not that I know what they could offer). The broadband provider, as I see it, is the ISP. The only competition that exists is between the different modes of communication: Cable, POTS, Sattellite, (WiFi when and if it becomes WiMAX). The promise of ubiquitous wireless communication could change things, however, the point I have digressed from is that Robert Cringely is correct, but it begs the question who(or what) owns the Internet?
By java on Apr 11, 2007
I haven’t read the Cringley post yet, but I’m curious if you think this inevitability of discrimination is global or US specific?
Personally, I’m convinced you’re probably correct with regard to the situation in the US. However, I have doubts whether it will be expropriated (sic) to the rest of the world.
Thoughts?
By critic on Jun 13, 2007