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Renew Deal

(82,848 posts)
Fri Sep 13, 2013, 09:52 AM Sep 2013

Verizon's diabolical plan to turn the Web into pay-per-view [View all]

Think of all the things that tick you off about cable TV. Along with brainless programming and crummy customer service, the very worst aspect of it is forced bundling. You can't pay just for the couple of dozen channels you actually watch. Instead, you have to pay for a couple of hundred channels, because the good stuff is scattered among a number of overstuffed packages.

Now, imagine that the Internet worked that way. You'd hate it, of course. But that's the direction that Verizon, with the support of many wired and wireless carriers, would like to push the Web. That's not hypothetical. The country's No. 1 carrier is fighting in court to end the Federal Communications Commission's policy of Net neutrality, a move that would open the gates to a whole new -- and wholly bad -- economic model on the Web.

As it stands now, you pay your Internet service provider and go wherever you want on the Web. Packets of bits are just packets and have to be treated equally. That's the essence of Net neutrality. But Verizon's plan, which the company has outlined during hearings in federal court and before Congress, would change that. Verizon and its allies would like to charge websites that carry popular content for the privilege of moving their packets to your connected device. Again, that's not hypothetical.

ESPN, for example, is in negotiations with at least one major cellular carrier to pay to exempt its content from subscribers' cellular data caps. And what's wrong with that? Well, ESPN is big and rich and can pay for that exemption, but other content providers -- think of your local jazz station that streams audio -- couldn't afford it and would be out of business. Or, they'd make you pay to visit their websites. Indeed, if that system had been in place 10 years ago, fledglings like Google or YouTube or Facebook might never have gotten out of the nest.
<snip>

http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/verizons-diabolical-plan-turn-the-web-pay-view-226662

43 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Years ago, a bunch of DUers said this was going to be the end result Blue_Tires Sep 2013 #1
I complained about that years ago as well in a different site Xyzse Sep 2013 #7
Yeah, we pay way more than most other nations and our level of service Blue_Tires Sep 2013 #10
It's pretty sad Xyzse Sep 2013 #14
I'm at Berlin Expat Sep 2013 #22
I hate you Treant Sep 2013 #26
In my city, we Berlin Expat Sep 2013 #32
That's how monopolistic sulphurdunn Sep 2013 #29
I can agree with this Xyzse Sep 2013 #31
So has their service LibertyLover Sep 2013 #12
Please take the time to watch and share this video SecularMotion Sep 2013 #2
Great video, thanks for posting. Really pulls the curtains back on what these Flatulo Sep 2013 #16
That was awesome.. yuiyoshida Sep 2013 #24
Very informative. I watched it yesterday. nt 99th_Monkey Sep 2013 #25
"Video is Currently Unavailable" Hissyspit Sep 2013 #38
Very interesting! blackspade Sep 2013 #42
Damm, that IS diabolical! ananda Sep 2013 #3
So what's to keep some providers from keeping things as they are. upaloopa Sep 2013 #4
Many areas have little or no choices in ISP's n2doc Sep 2013 #6
incredible profits? Blue_Tires Sep 2013 #8
aren't we paying right now? warrior1 Sep 2013 #5
We are paying for internet access el_bryanto Sep 2013 #9
If you haven't already, watch the video in post #2. It explains the issue very nicely, Flatulo Sep 2013 #18
You pay for level playing field. Verizon wants to tilt it toward big business, big media, big money. Bernardo de La Paz Sep 2013 #20
Just reading about the new 4k TV's Jesus Malverde Sep 2013 #11
Many countries won't have a problem with that. It's the US. Dash87 Sep 2013 #17
Charter already caps at 200Gbytes, even for their Ultimate Internet package, which is over $100. Flatulo Sep 2013 #19
k&r n/t 2banon Sep 2013 #13
This is the end result of the anti-competitive nature of telecoms these days. Dash87 Sep 2013 #15
Which is why all the anti-socialist hysteria is this country amuses me... Blue_Tires Sep 2013 #21
...how so? RedCappedBandit Sep 2013 #39
Well, I can always just go back to using the 'net for e-mail. blackspade Sep 2013 #23
I remember only viewing content from AOL back in the 90s Generic Other Sep 2013 #30
What the Internet will look like once net neutrality is abolished... backscatter712 Sep 2013 #27
So who can pressure the FCC to maintain net neutrality? Is this seen as a David v. Goliath battle? ancianita Sep 2013 #28
This is deadly serious: corporate control of the internet, woo me with science Sep 2013 #33
'Zactly n/t Joe Shlabotnik Sep 2013 #43
I'm growing sick of the net anyway. Start charging more $ and I'll NightWatcher Sep 2013 #34
Funnny,,, Cryptoad Sep 2013 #35
In reply 2, there is a very decent video, quite humorously done, truedelphi Sep 2013 #40
Verizon! Don't get me started! marew Sep 2013 #36
That they want editorial control is the real issue jmowreader Sep 2013 #37
kick woo me with science Sep 2013 #41
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