US Senate Committee Says People Want Cable TV Instead of Net Neutrality
Sep 24th, 2006 | By James Lewin | Category: Audio Podcasting, General, Podcasting LawThe U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation has released a statement that calls Net Neutrality, the idea Internet providers should handle all Internet traffic equally, whether it’s your traffic or Verizon’s, “onerous” or a burden.
The issue is of importance to podcast and podcast fans. If traffic from large corporations gets favored over indie podcasters, it would mean that podcast fans end up stuck in the slow lane.
According to the Committee, “an overwhelming majority of American voters favor video choice over onerous ‚ÄúNet Neutrality‚Äù regulations”. The Committee cites a nation-wide survey of 800 registered voters that 90 percent of Americans believe it is important to have a choice of service providers for cable TV.
The survey was paid for by Verizon.
The survey found that very few registered voters are familiar with the issue of network neutrality. In some regions of the country, only 5 percent of likely voters had even heard of “Net Neutrality.”
The survey found broad support for a “Consumer Internet Bill of Rights,” like that contained in the Senate’s communications bill. The provision contained in the Senate bill prevents Internet service providers from blocking access to competitors or degrading a consumer’s broadband service.
According to the survey, when presented with a choice between video choice and additional net neutrality legislation, an overwhelming majority of voters supported video choice.
Other surveys have found that, when the concept of Net Neutrality is explained, it is overwhelmingly supported.
[…] US Senate Committee Says People Want Cable TV Instead of Net Neutrality September 24th, 2006 The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation has released a statement that calls Net Neutrality, the idea Internet providers should handle all Internet traffic equally, whether itís your traffic or Verizonís, ìonerousî or a burden. The issue is of importance to podcast and podcast fans. If traffic from large corporations gets favored over indie podcasters, it would mean that podcast fans end up stuck in the slow lane. According to the Committee, ìan overwhelming majority of American voters favor video choice over onerous ìNet Neutralityî regulationsî. The Committee cites a nation-wide survey of 800 registered voters that 90 percent of Americans believe it is important to have a choice of service providers for cable TV. The survey was paid for by Verizon. The survey found that very few registered voters are familiar with the issue of network neutrality. In some regions of the country, only 5 percent of likely voters had even heard of ìNet Neutrality.î The survey found broad support for a ìConsumer Internet Bill of Rights,î like that contained in the Senateís communications bill. The provision contained in the Senate bill prevents Internet service providers from blocking access to competitors or degrading a consumerís broadband service. According to the survey, when presented with a choice between video choice and additional net neutrality legislation, an overwhelming majority of voters supported video choice. Other surveys have found that, when the concept of Net Neutrality is explained, it is overwhelmingly supported. Podcasting News ª US Senate Committee Says People Want Cable TV Instead of Net Neutrality __________________ Take Control, It’s Easy! CONTROL CHOICE EDUCATION http://www.controlyourtv.org/ my yahoo group: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/thecabletvgroup/ […]
“Other surveys have found that, when the concept of Net Neutrality is explained, it is overwhelmingly supported.”
Support, please? And who paid for those, I’d like to know?
You write like “video choice” and “net neutrality” are necessarily mutually exclusive. They don’t have to be, but unfortunately, the “neutrality” activists have insisted on a massive expansion of bureaucracy, which has imperiled franchise reform.
Besides, there already is an Internet user bill of rights so to speak — it’s the Four Principles adopted by the FCC last year.