I have a net neutrality question

[Hippo_Tron]

Unfortunately I'm not a tech guru so it's a little hard for me to understand some of these things, but I assure you that my knowledge is more extensive than Ted "Series of Tubes" Stevens.

Anyways, on to the question...

The tiered internet system that telecom companies want to create would require websites to pay for the ability to transfer their information at optimal speeds. Yet don't you already do that depending on what kind of internet connection you buy? For example if you chose to spend more for a T3 connection than a T1 connection then aren't you already paying more money for your content to be transfered faster than those who only pay for a T1? If telecom companies enact the tiered system then wouldn't websites essentially be paying them twice for optimal service (once for the connection and once for the "priority").

[mainegreen]

1. It's the middle line companies that want to charge.

So the company (company 1) the web provider buys the Tx from charges money for the connection and then company 1 passes the data off to a carrier (company 2) that will move the data to another local provider (company 3). It's company 2, the big middle guy that wants a bigger cut. They're pissed that they cant charge the end users directly, and instead have to negotiate with the end providers who pay on their customers (you the end user, or google or whatever) behalf. Since the end providers (companies 1 and 3) have lawyers and negotiators, they can get a fair deal. This pisses off AT&T, MCI et al who really just want to rape you for cash.

So yes, they already get paid. Basically they are lying. Badly.

[bananas]

2. The cable tv companies want to be able to charge google and yahoo

They want to force youtube and google to pay for access to their customers.
The result will be increased revenue for the cable tv company, and more ads on youtube and google.
New competitors to youtube will effectively be locked out.