 funchordsHelloPremium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Yarmouth Port, MA
kudos:5 | reply to luster
Re: Go Ahead, Verizon, Make My Day (seriously) said by luster:First, Vz swats a gnat w/a 10lb sledge and in the process blatantly pares a huge chunk of their bundled internet service package from all 8+meg of their customers. And, no one, not even the FCC or MD PSC, seems to be alarmed at losing it! Well, I sure as hell am! Not only do I lose but, Vz also gains back that much network bandwidth and reduces costs in the data center to boot... Touche` Mr. businessman in bed with the lawman! Hi Ken,
I feel your pain, but there are a couple of realities here that make it impossible for the FCC or a PSC to care:
1. Running a usenet server is a non-essential, value-added service. VZ's network must support NNTP (or any other IP-based protocol), but Verizon doesn't need to run a server.
2. FCC's regulatory claim on broadband is weaker based on its status as an "Information Service" rather than "Common Carrier." When Verizon shuts down or trims back one of the components that make it an "Information Service" (examples: usenet server, email server, even DNS server falls here), it creates this situation where the matter at hand has nothing to do with carriage.
But as a consumer, I do wish that our ISPs would continue the age-old tradition of representing the Internet ecosystem to external pressures like the NY AG. Stand up to them, please! What Verizon did here was wrong -- there's just nothing we can do about it because it's this non-essential, value-added part and not the primary communication service.
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Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL |
