Trump Names Two Opponents of Net Neutrality To Oversee FCC Transition Team (gizmodo.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: President-elect Donald Trump has appointed two new advisers to his transition team that will oversee his FCC and telecommunications policy agenda. Both of the new advisers are staunch opponents of net neutrality regulations. Jeff Eisenach, one of the two newly appointed advisers, is an economist who has previously worked as a consultant for Verizon and its trade association. In September 2014, Eisenach testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee and said, "Net neutrality would not improve consumer welfare or protect the public interest." He has also worked for the conservative think-tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and in a blog post wrote, "Net neutrality is crony capitalism pure and simple." Mark Jamison, the other newly appointed adviser, also has a long history of battling against net neutrality oversight. Jamison formerly worked on Sprint's lobbying team and now leads the University of Florida's Public Utility Research Center. Both Eisenach and Jamison are considered leading adversaries of net neutrality who worked hard to prevent the rules from being passed last year. For the uninitiated, the rules passed last year prevent companies internet providers from discriminating against any online content or services. For example, without net neutrality rules, internet providers like Comcast and Verizon could charge internet subscribers more for using sites like Netflix. The FCC's net neutrality rules would protect consumers from paying exorbitant fees for internet use.

Comments

Re:Why are we even arguing about it?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is absolutely not that simple. Since Trump or at least congress can craft the regulations with whatever exemptions they see fit. Giving "common carriers" their cake and letting them eat it.

Re:Why are we even arguing about it?

[rectalfeeding]

If they are common carriers then they can not inspect the content they carry and as such are not liable for that content.

I'm pretty sure Amtrak is allowed to check to make sure you aren't shipping large quantities of radioactive material on their cars. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as "reasonable rail transportation management".

The loopholes are large and easily navigable.

Re:This is a good thing

[bmo]

I find that those who oppose any kind of societal safety net have never had to use the resources of one.

And they never expect to.

This.... is delusional. You will age. You /will/ fall ill. Be it 6 months out of work for a septic knee (like what Tom Brady had), or full disability because nobody wants to hire someone who has to go to doctors' appointments 1/4 of the days out of a month on a regular basis. BAD SHIT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU SOMETIME IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR.

I don't like wishing bad things on people. I don't need to. Because they happen anyway.

Against the safety net? Good luck to you. You'll need it.

--
BMO

Re:Why are we even arguing about it?

[rtb61]

Cough, cough, like corporate censorship is no their wet dream, even in personal one on one digital transmissions, "sorry the statement you just made is illegal and you have been cut off, penalty for the message is a 72 hour cooling off period during which your service will be disconnected, this is your third warning any additional infraction will result in an extended disconnection of three months, have a nice day". Your plan sucks big time, you are giving them exactly what they want. Net neutrality is a privacy right, those who attack our right to privacy should be punished, severely.

Re:I still want short distance & long distance

[ArhcAngel]

You mean like a CDN?
ISP's have been playing games with content providers and backbone internet companies for years. Netflix offered to install a FREE CDN on all the ISP's networks that would have decreased their network traffic to the backbone by over 50% but they refused because they wanted Netflix to pay to get to their customers. Ultimately Netflix caved and paid the toll and raised their rates to compensate. Net Neutrality would make this type of extortion illegal. Right now AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, et al own the last mile AND competing VOD services. This is a complete conflict of interest.

Re:Why are we even arguing about it?

[Joce640k]

Trump or at least congress can craft the regulations with whatever exemptions they see fit.

Donald calls this process "Draining the Swamp".

Re:Why are we even arguing about it?

[AmiMoJo]

He only wants to drain it so he can build his own sewage works there. The first thing he has done is appoint his friends and family to his administration, scumbags the lot of them.