AT&T Proposes Net Neutrality Compromise

An anonymous reader writes: The net neutrality debate has been pretty binary: ISPs want the ability to create so-called "fast lanes," and consumers want all traffic to be treated equally. Now, AT&T is proposing an alternative: fast lanes under consumer control. Their idea would "allow individual consumers to ask that some applications, such as Netflix, receive priority treatment over other services, such as e-mail or online video games. That's different from the FCC's current proposal, which tacitly allows Internet providers to charge content companies for priority access to consumers but doesn't give the consumers a choice in the matter."

AT&T said, "Such an approach would preserve the ability of Internet service providers to engage in individualized negotiations with [content companies] for a host of services, while prohibiting the precise practice that has raised 'fast lane' concerns." It's not perfect, but it's probably the first earnest attempt at a compromise we've seen from either side, and it suggests the discussion can move forward without completely rejecting one group's wishes.

Comments

Request fastlane for games

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would you request a fastlane for Netflix? As you can just buffer the video. If it's not fast enough you need a better internet connection.
For fast paced multiplayer games you would request a fast lane, or any multiplayer game really.

But what connections can be fastlaned? If Netflix or Valve have to negotiate for users to have fastlanes, then it will still cause the same problems.

AT&T..compromise?

[grasshoppa]

hahahahaha

No, what we're seeing is one of two things:

1) They've already figured out how to milk this suggestion for every dime ( and given enough time, they'll figure out how to milk even MORE out of it )

2) They see which way the wind is (hopefully) blowing, and realize a compromise NOW might let them salvage some of the situation.

In either case, telling them to go "pound sand" is still the correct response. AT&T and their ilk have screwed over customers for years. There is no reason to suddenly adopt an attitude of cooperation with them, knowing full fucking well the only reason they're doing so is to find a place to stick the knife.

Re: Why compromise

[Anonymous Coward]

This. The post was considered so important by the Founders that a national utility - the post office - was enshrined in the constitution. Email is the new post. Instead of letting pirates like AT&T hold our copper and fiber, often largely paid for by public funds, hostage, we should treat the internet as a vital public service and resource like the postal network.