Cities and states take up the battle for an open internet

[Thaddeus]

Cities and states take up the battle for an open internet
by David Elliot Berman and Victor Pickard
Published in The Conversation

Internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon are free to slow down, block or prioritize internet traffic as they wish, without interference by the federal government. That’s the effect of an October ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, upholding a 2017 ruling by the Federal Communications Commission that reversed rules requiring what is called “net neutrality” – treating all internet traffic equally, regardless of where it’s from or what kind of data it is.

Giving corporate telecom giants this power is wildly unpopular among the American people, who know that these companies have overcharged customers and interfered with users’ internet access in the past.

However, people who advocate for an open internet, free of corporate roadblocks, might find solace in another aspect of the court’s ruling: States and local governments may be able to mandate their own net neutrality rules.

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/cities-and-states-take-up-the-battle-for-an-open-internet-126170

[katmondoo]

1. My cable co is one of the worse, guess where? In Florida of course. Cox Cable Gainesville, FL.

[Thaddeus]

2. Commericial broadband is terrible in so many places

Especially in the US where there is such little competition and few public interest regulations (e.g. Net Neutrality).