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Net Neutrality Act On the Agenda Again

Posted by kdawson on from the end-to-end-tubes dept.

blue234 writes "On January 9th, Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and Democrat Byron Dorgan reintroduced the bill popularly known as the Net Neutrality Act, and officially called the Internet Freedom Preservation Act. The bill was killed in the Senate last year in a vote split along party lines (Democrats yea, Republicans no), with the exception of Senator Snowe, who voted with the Democrats. Now that the Democrats have a slight majority in the Senate, the bill certainly has a better chance, but it still needs 60 votes to prevent a Republican filibuster.

5 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Operation Preserve Freedom by s388 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Internet Freedom Preservation Act"

    It's funny. In this day and age I hear a bill title like that and I automatically assume it's some tyrannical euphemistic horror-show and that I should immediately call my representatives and insist they opppose it.

    Incidentally this bill really is evil, because apparently all consumers and businesses currently use tremendous bandwidth without paying for it! I for one think it's about time the internet service providers were paid a monthly bill for the courtesies they provide!

    1. Re:Operation Preserve Freedom by oSand · · Score: 2, Funny

      You're probably just one of those people that hate Patriotism and don't want Clear Skies.

  2. Re:Hopefully... by mordors9 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh c'mon. You must be forgetting the Dems are now in control. The days of any legislative shenanigans are over. (removing tongue from cheek)

  3. Re:It's not gunna happen.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ya know what you should do about that? Start your own. And don't give me any of this shit about having to lay cables or whatever, get your local government to declare that the current provider must open their infrastructure so you can compete with them.
    Exactly. What is with you lazy Americans? If you don't like the cost or service of your internet provider, just start your own! It's so easy! Why I had my own ISP up and running in a Saturday afternoon!

    It's similar to gas prices. People keep complaining about gasoline prices at the local stations. You know what I did? I started my own oil company, petitioned various governmental agencies to get access to pipelines, and built a gas station! No problem. Took a few hours to get it all together, but it was worth it.

    Another example. Cell phone prices. I just couldn't deal with those expensive monthly fees and lock-in plans that the major cell-phone carriers push on consumers. You know what I did? That's right, I started my own cell-phone network! Set up a few cell phone towers, connected all the infrastructure, and now I'm barely paying 20 USD a month for my usage (plus the inital $1,950,000.00 start-up fees).

    It has always seemed strange to me that Americans can't just start major communication and technological infrastructures on their own. It's like they have something better to do with their time.
  4. QUOTE OF THE DAY by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 2, Funny

    Calling economists liars because the free market doesn't match your day-to-day economic experiences is like calling a paint manufacturer a liar because his black paint does not emit perfect black body radiation.

    Wow, I'm going to have to remember that one. :-)

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON