FCC: Cable ISPs Need Not Give Competitors Access

michael_cain writes: "Multichannel News is reporting that the FCC has ruled that cable companies providing high-speed data service do not need to provide access to competing ISPs. Depending on whom you believe, this should lead to either (a) more rapid rollout of cable modem service since the cable companies don't have to share the revenues or (b) cable companies limiting the content and services you can reach over their IP infrastructure." And an Anonymous Coward writes: "Excite is running an article indicating that the FCC has exempted cable internet companies from having to share their lines to competition. Unlike telephone companies, cable companies are required only to share their lines when specifically told to by the government. As a condition of the AOL Time Warner merger, that company was forced to offer its consumers a choice of Internet service providers on its high-speed lines. Thursday's vote, classifying cable Internet as an "information service" rather than a telecommunications service that is subject to the open-access provision, makes sure that cable companies won't have to share anytime soon."

Comments

come again?

[spikedvodka]

Ok, let me get this straight... DSL providers have to open their lines to competition, but Broadband providers dont.

hrmmm...
DSL: High Speed internet access
Cable: High Speed internet access

The differance being that the cable internet providers are also "content providers"? because they own 9 10ths of the media? ok... does anybody else see this as a problem (besides the obvious lack of meaningful content being provided)?

I find it rather interesting that the FCCs lone democrat was the only vote against the decision... lets look at some parallels here, the M$ case

Democrats in White House: Push M$ to court for being a monopoly; Democrat in the FCC: try to prevent monopolies

Republicans in White house: let the M$ case slide, but try to keep face; Republicans in the FCC: go ahead, don't allow competition

remind me again why we elected Bush?

Re:totally backwards

[cpeterso]

I disagree. I had @home (before it became AT&T Broadband) cable service. Sure the throughput was pretty fast, but my favorite part of the service was the Excite.com home page. When choosing between DSL and a cable modem, the My Excite! and Blue Mountain web sites are why I finally chose @home.