Google Fires Off Warning to US Telcos

mytrip writes "The US Senate Commerce Committee last week approved reforms in communications legislation that will make it easier for Internet providers to offer IP-based television. The resultant perceived threat of telecommunications companies muscling in on the Web has stirred search giant Google into firing off warnings. A spokesman said it would not hesitate to file anti-trust complaints if Internet-providing telcos abuse powers that could come from U.S. legislators in further reforms - some of which, Google argues, could threaten 'Net Neutrality'.

Comments

More Here

[neonprimetime]

From Reuters (linked in Article), More Info Here in yesterday's article

Re:Chicken and egg and chicken and egg and

[mkraft]

Actually the Spanish American War (federal excise) tax was finally repealed a few months ago. Not only that but it was retroactive to 3 years ago. It took over a hundred years to do, but it did happen.

So can the gf poster get all he wants now?

Re:Chicken and egg and chicken and egg and

[just_forget_it]

I disagree. Complete "freedom" in either the market or society is never a good thing. John D. Rockerfeller had complete "freedom" to use extortion, threats, and bribery to build an oil monopoly and squash competitors. Government intervention split the company and now using his methods is illegal. It also split the big AT&T telcom monopoly. If it weren't for government intervention, we would still be overpaying for land-line service. The EU is currently leveraging fines against Microsoft for not providing accurate API documentation to third parties. A free market NEEDS regulation, because when left to it's own devices, eventually a shark is going to come along and swallow up the competition, creating a predatory monopoly. Without government to step in and provide a deterrent against this, any free market will eventually implode.

Re:Chicken and egg and chicken and egg and

[BrynM]

The telcos own the wires - do you propose the government take the wires away and lease them to the lowest bidder?

Um... We citizens used to own those lines as a public utility. The telcos (when they were one telco) were given large subsidies to build out their networks. You should go read this history and then read this old but prescient article. The government still forces Telcos to lease the lines for telephony use at a fixed wholesale price, but I guess the Internet doesn't count for some reason.