The Future of the Internet

bariswheel writes "An important piece written by a Columbia Law professor addresses sensitive questions about the future of the Internet: "Is it a problem if the gatekeepers (i.e. a duopoly of the local phone and cable companies) discriminate between favored and disfavored uses of the Internet? How would you take it if AT&T makes it slower and harder to reach Gmail and quicker and easier to reach Yahoo! mail? What if I-95 announced an exclusive deal with General Motors to provide a special "rush-hour" lane for GM cars only? Is there something special about "carriers" and infrastructure--roads, canals, electric grids, trains, the Internet--that mandates special treatment? Should content providers like Google, or subscribers like us, pay for the bandwidth consumed?" Here's hoping that sites like Google Techtalks and Channel 9 remain 'free' and available for the next 10 years."

Comments

am i paying for the bandwidth or not?

[192939495969798999]

Why am I paying for X MB of access if I can't actually get X MB of access on whatever port I feel like? That's just retarded economics. Eventually a company will offer X MB of access for X dollars, no catch, and that company will become the internet monopoly ISP of all time.

Re:Bandwidth is already paid for

[kfg]

Why do people keep repeating this absurd claim?

Because people are absurd?

KFG