TeleFrieden: Summary of the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom NPRM

TeleFrieden: Summary of the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom NPRM: Thanks Rob! "The FCC now proposes to apply an information service regulatory classification to broadband Internet access and to treat wireless service as private carriage rather than the existing commercial designation established by Congress. The Commission heavily relies on a questionable conclusion that common carriage regulation stifles investment, innovation and employment in the Internet ecosystem.

While offering a passing reference to contrary studies, the FCC opts to accept unconditionally the conclusion in one study sponsored by incumbent carriers that existing regulation imposed substantial marketplace harms." 'via Blog this'

These companies spend the most money to kill net neutrality

These companies spend the most money to kill net neutrality: "The top pro-neutrality organizations filed 176 lobbying reports mentioning net neutrality. But the top anti-neutrality organizations far outpaced them, filing 472 reports that mentioned net neutrality. That’s a 2.7-to-1 ratio.

 When we arrange the top-20 net neutrality lobbying organizations by amount of reports on the issue (Figure 1), the disparity is clear. The five most active organizations on the issue since 2005—Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and the National Music Publishers Association—are all opposed to neutrality. Verizon and AT&T are heads and shoulders above everyone else, each with an estimated 119 reports mentioning net neutrality." 'via Blog this'

BEREC will run three public consultations from 7 June till 5 July 2017

BEREC will run three public consultations from 7 June till 5 July 2017: "On 7 June, in Brussels, during the Public debriefing BEREC will launch three public consultations on the following documents: BEREC Medium-term strategy 2018-2020, Internet protocol interconnection practices in the context of Net Neutrality and BEREC regulatory methodology for quality of service assessment for the implementation of Net Neutrality provisions. All the public consultations will run for four consecutive weeks, and will end on 5 July 2017." 'via Blog this'

How One Little Cable Company Exposed Telecom’s Achilles’ Heel

How One Little Cable Company Exposed Telecom’s Achilles’ Heel: "So don’t fixate on “net neutrality.” Political talk about high-speed internet access in America is chock full of words like that that have been entirely untethered from their their meanings and history. Even though the state of internet access is an issue that touches the bank accounts and opportunities of hundreds of millions of Americans and gazillions of businesses, very few people understand what’s actually going on. Now you are among them." 'via Blog this'

Net Neutrality Violations: A Brief History | Free Press

Net Neutrality Violations: A Brief History | Free Press: "In reality, many providers both in the United States and abroad have violated the principles of Net Neutrality — and they plan to continue doing so in the future.

This history of abuse revealed a problem that the FCC’s 2015 Net Neutrality protections solved. Those rules are now under threat" 'via Blog this'

Throttling of websites and online services might help customers, FCC says | Ars Technica

Throttling of websites and online services might help customers, FCC says | Ars Technica: "The NPRM also suggests that customers are being harmed by the ban on ISPs charging websites and other online services for faster access to consumers. "Is there a risk that banning paid prioritization suppresses pro-competitive activity?" the NPRM asks. "For example, could allowing paid prioritization give Internet service providers a supplemental revenue stream that would enable them to offer lower-priced broadband Internet access service to end-users?"

 The NPRM asks whether paid prioritization could "enable certain critical information, such as consumers’ health care vital signs that are being monitored remotely, to be transmitted more efficiently or reliably." But the document fails to mention that the existing rules have an exception that lets ISPs sell isolated network capacity for telemedicine services.

 The FCC also asks whether it should keep rules that require ISPs to make greater disclosures about hidden fees and data caps. The FCC seems to think the broadband market is so competitive that this isn't necessary. "We seek comment on whether the additional reporting obligations from that rule remains necessary in today’s competitive broadband marketplace," the NPRM says. Pai has already exempted ISPs with 250,000 or fewer subscribers from these rules.

 An FCC official acknowledged that it's highly likely the commission will be sued after it makes changes to net neutrality rules, but noted that courts have generally deferred to the FCC on whether Internet providers should or should not be classified as common carriers." 'via Blog this'

Net neutrality going down in flames as US FCC votes to kill Title II rules | Ars Technica UK

Net neutrality going down in flames as US FCC votes to kill Title II rules | Ars Technica UK: "The US Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 today (18 May) to start the process of eliminating net neutrality rules and the classification of home and mobile Internet service providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act.

 The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes eliminating the Title II classification and seeks comment on what, if anything, should replace the current net neutrality rules. But Chairman Ajit Pai is making no promises about reinstating the two-year-old net neutrality rules that forbid ISPs from blocking or throttling lawful Internet content or prioritizing content in exchange for payment. Pai's proposal argues that throttling websites and applications might somehow help Internet users.

The FCC plans to take comments on its plan until August 16 (the docket is available here) and then make a final decision sometime after that." 'via Blog this'

AT&T could be punished for unlimited data throttling after all | Ars Technica

AT&T could be punished for unlimited data throttling after all | Ars Technica: "But FTC enforcement isn't a perfect substitute for the FCC. As the FCC is the expert agency for telecommunications and can create specific rules to protect telecom customers, the FTC isn't able to create hard-and-fast rules that ISPs must follow. The FTC can prevent deceptive or unfair practices, but this depends in large part on ISPs promising not to do bad things. If companies make promises in their terms of service and then fail to deliver, the FTC can step in.

 "We are a very hard-working agency, but we’re not a very big agency," FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny recently told Ars. "The FTC doesn't have a lot of expertise in network engineering. We're not the FCC in that regard." The FTC receives "millions of consumer complaints every year" across all industries under its jurisdiction, and "we can’t act on every single complaint."" 'via Blog this'

Netherlands Zero Rating Case 20 April

ROT 17/468, ROT 17/1160 and ROT 17/1932 T-Mobile v. Ziggo BV , Ziggo Services BV , Vodafone Libertel BV
Google Translate:  ACM has ordered T-Mobile to discontinue the provision and execution of the Data Free Music service under forfeiture of a penalty payment. At the hearing it appears that VodafoneZiggo disagrees with the far-reaching suspension by ACM of the burden during a possible preliminary question. The objection lodged at the sitting - as part of the plea note - indicates that the court should have been forwarded within the meaning of Article 7: 1a, 6th of the Awb. ACM takes the view that zero rating is contrary to Article 3, second and third paragraphs, of the Network Neutrality Regulation and with Article 7.4a, third paragraph, of the Tw. The court is of the opinion that the neutrality regulation and in particular Article 3 of the Regulation undoubtedly contains no categorical prohibition of price discrimination ("acte clair"). Article 7.4a, third paragraph, of the Tw is therefore unequivocally contrary to the network neutrality regulation. In this connection, the court notes that no other conclusion is possible than the national legislature has acted against by better understanding by Article 7.4a, third paragraph, of the Tw, in spite of the establishment history and the text of Article 3 of the Network Neutrality Regulation , Based on "further examination of the text of the Regulation".

'via Blog this'

FCC website 'targeted by attack' after John Oliver comments - BBC News

FCC website 'targeted by attack' after John Oliver comments - BBC News: ""Mr Pai is essentially trolling the trolls," Chris Marsden, professor of internet law at the University of Sussex, told the BBC.
"If you bait John Oliver, you reap what you sow."
The FCC will vote on Mr Pai's proposals to revoke the legislation on 18 May." 'via Blog this'