SCL: Predictions 2018

SCL: Predictions 2018 - 5: "Prediction: Ajit Pai abolishes net neutrality at the 14 December FCC meeting, then the courts stay his action in 2018. This net neutrality issue will run forever." 'via Blog this'

Strand on Net Neutrality in EU after 1 Year: Unintended Consequences for operators, content providers, and consumers

Net Neutrality in EU after 1 Year: Unintended Consequences for operators, content providers, and consumers: "Desperate EU gamble for popularity.

The European Commission and Parliament made a gamble to regulate net neutrality and roaming in the same legislation, on the desperate hope that the EU could translate Europeans love of the interent and mobile communications into love of EU government. The EU claims that the reason for the legislation was to protect and guarantee the engine of Internet innovation, but the regime fails on both fronts. The privacy of users is being violated by invasive measurement and blocks against securing networks.

As for innovation, there are little to no examples of new European developments since the legislation. If anything, the EU continues to fall behind the US and East Asia in Internet innovation." 'via Blog this'

5 crazy things that happened as the FCC voted to undo its net neutrality rules - The Washington Post

5 crazy things that happened as the FCC voted to undo its net neutrality rules - The Washington Post: "On the “Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Colbert compared Verizon's and Comcast's promises not to block, slow down or prioritize Web traffic to the “shark lobby” promising not to eat people, despite pushing regulators to reclassify their mouths as “sleeping bags.”

 “By killing net neutrality, Internet providers can basically do whatever they want, as long as they disclose to their users what exactly they do to Web traffic. So, get ready for more fine print from your Internet provider. At least you’ll have something to read while you wait for website to load,” Colbert joked.

 He also mocked FCC chairman Ajit Pai for starring in an anti-net-neutrality video published by conservative news site the Daily Caller, that appeared to target young people by using memes and pop culture references. To lampoon Pai, Colbert, in shades and an offset baseball cap that said “Snapgram,” pretended to connect with millennials, or “chicken nugget teens” by exclaiming “Szechuan sauce!” and taking a selfie using an avocado as a camera." 'via Blog this'

Kieran McCarthy: 5 reasons why America's Ctrl-Z on net neutrality rules is a GOOD thing • The Register

5 reasons why America's Ctrl-Z on net neutrality rules is a GOOD thing • The Register: "If you sign up to the Platinum Double Plus package, you are going to get an internet so fast it will blow your socks off. And all the best content, carefully curated for you by your cable company. Think 3D gaming. Think 8K video.

You will be the envy of your street. You will be better than them. They suck. You're great. And it will only cost $200 a month. That's the price of just two coffees a day. And, for a limited time only, you can get it for just $150 a month." 'via Blog this'

Why is Disney buying Fox? - BBC News does not realize it has biggest net neutrality story in UK

Why is Disney buying Fox? - BBC News: "For Disney, the acquisition of 21st Century Fox is a key moment in a pivot towards streaming premium content directly into people's living rooms.
Disney has been focused on acquiring content, buying Pixar and Lucasfilm for example, and this deal helps beef up the distribution.
The stake in Sky gives it nearly 50 million European subscribers.
It also adds the Star India network with 58 channels in eight languages, reaching 650 million customers.

In addition, Disney will acquire a majority stake in the streaming service Hulu.

Add all that up and you have a potentially powerful future competitor to Netflix and Amazon Prime - who at the moment are streets ahead." 'via Blog this'

18 attorneys general ask FCC to delay net neutrality vote for fake comments investigation | TheHill

18 attorneys general ask FCC to delay net neutrality vote for fake comments investigation | TheHill: "The letter is signed by attorneys general from Virginia, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Washington and Vermont.

“It is essential that the Commission gets a full and accurate picture of how changes to net neutrality will affect the everyday lives of Americans before they can act on such sweeping policy changes,” the attorneys general write.

 The letter comes after a separate letter from the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said as many as 2 million comments regarding net neutrality filed to the commission were falsified.

“But, if the well of public comment has been poisoned by falsified submissions, the Commission may be unable to rely on public comments that would help it reach a legitimate conclusion to the Page 2 rulemaking process,” the 18 attorneys write." 'via Blog this'

France’s top internet regulator, Sébastien Soriano, has a message for Americans on net neutrality.

France’s top internet regulator, Sébastien Soriano, has a message for Americans on net neutrality.: "Another point made by critics of net neutrality is that the internet developed just fine without open-internet protections in place. But it is not fair to argue that because the “internet as we know it” grew with no net neutrality rules, we do not need these rules today. Gutenberg did not benefit from any declaration of rights to invent the printing press. Nevertheless, we codified freedom of speech to keep using it.

 In today’s digital world, the main challenge is to make sure that startups, entrepreneurs, and all innovators still have the ability to reinvent our world. Big companies now in place—telecom, cable, media companies, tech giants—have been doing well in recent years, and the issue is not to fight against them. But we know from history that disruptive and game-changing ideas often come from the margins. More than ever, our duty is to give a chance to a future Magellan or Columbus to forge a way in the unknown." 'via Blog this'