The Digital Stream becomes a Trickle

The Stream becomes a trickle

There are some things you just don’t do… spit into the wind, mess around with Jim (if you are a Jim Croce fan) and insult someone’s mother – It’s just common sense. There are some things you don’t do unless you are a glutton for punishment. Like answer the question “Does this make me look fat?” with “yes” to anyone with which you care to continue having any sort of relationship.

If you are a politician there are a few things that you never do (at least not with the knowledge of your constituents).  The first is doing anything to destabilize social security.  Another is rub any political action committee  the wrong way from whom you wish to continue to receive funding.

Now it appears we can add another item to the “never do list.”

It appears that when some members of congress say “we’ve got your back” (at least where your internet service is concerned) all it means is that they have good aim.  Whether its Youtube, Netflix, or digitial download, that streaming data may soon become a trickle if Rep. Gene Green  has his way.

Aiming to displease.

Following the defeat in the courts against Comcast, on this June 17^th the FCC will have a public hearing to determine whether it should leave existing laws in place (in which case hold on to your wallets friends), reclassify internet carriers like telephone companies (allowing regulation of internet providers) or  a “third option” (source)

It’s not surprising then that lobbyists for internet providers are loaded for bear and taking aim at congressmen and congresswomen on both sides of the aisle. Hoping that Democrats and Republicans alike will not dodge the buckshot, at least one Congressman, Representative Gene Green (Democrat – Texas) is busy holding the gun steady for internet providers.  Here is an excerpt from a letter he is circulating to Republican Members of Congress. (source)

“…we have serious concerns about the proposed new regulatory framework for broadband and the Internet. The expanded FCC jurisdiction over broadband that has been proposed and the manner in which it would be implemented are unprecedented and create regulatory uncertainty. The controversy surrounding that approach will likely serve as a distraction from what should be our Nation’s foremost communications priority: bringing broadband to every corner of America, getting every American online, and providing the high speed connections needed to realize the promises of telemedicine, distance learning, and other forms of consumer empowerment.”

It appears that Representative Green and lobbyists from Internet Providers are interested in making President Obama’s universal broadband access a reality by making it too expensive to afford.

Bucking the Trend

Fortunately, this news follows on the back of the announcement by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz that free internet Wi-Fi is coming to 7,000 company operated Starbucks in the U.S. This follows McDonalds adding free Wi-Fi to 11,500 of its locations. 

It seems that if Representative Green and the Broadband Lobbyists have their way we will be eating a lot of McDonalds Cheeseburgers and drinking a lot of Starbucks coffee to watch our favorite movies on Netflix.

Update:

The results of the June 17, 2010 public hearing are in:

“The commission voted 3-2 to open an inquiry into how the industry is regulated, the first step toward giving the agency the authority to police broadband service providers such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T.”  Source

Good news on the face of it.  The shadow that looms in the background is thye phrase “open an inquiry”.  This sounds suspciously like the phrase “Send it to committee” which around Washington D.C. is sometimes the quickest way to kill a bill.