"The FCC Still Doesn't Know How the Internet Works" (eff.org)

An anonymous reader writes: The EFF describes the FCC's official plan to kill net neutrality as "riddled with technical errors and factual inaccuracies," including, for example, a false distinction between "Internet access service" and "a distinct transmission service" which the EFF calls "utterly ridiculous and completely ungrounded from reality."

"Besides not understanding how Internet access works, the FCC also has a troublingly limited knowledge of how the Domain Name System (DNS) works -- even though hundreds of engineers tried to explain it to them this past summer... As the FCC would have it, an Internet user actively expects their ISP to provide DNS to them." And in addition, "Like DNS, it treats caching as if it were some specialized service rather than an implementation detail and general-purpose computing technique."

"There are at least two possible explanations for all of these misunderstandings and technical errors. One is that, as we've suggested, the FCC doesn't understand how the Internet works. The second is that it doesn't care, because its real goal is simply to cobble together some technical justification for its plan to kill net neutrality. A linchpin of that plan is to reclassify broadband as an 'information service,' (rather than a 'telecommunications service,' or common carrier) and the FCC needs to offer some basis for it. So, we fear, it's making one up, and hoping no one will notice."
"We noticed," their editorial ends, urging Americans "to tell your lawmakers: Don't let the FCC sell the Internet out."

Comments

FCC stay away

[Anonymous Coward]

So the FCC is removing rules they put in place based on a law passed in the early 1900's. The FCC knows nothing about how the internet works.

This seems like a good thing. The government is about making rules, and experience says that they do not really care if it is a good rule or not, just that they get paid a lot of money to make it.

I do not understand how many people expect a group that knows nothing about the internet can be expected to make a good decision about what is best for it. If you want to know how to improve ISP's, ask the people who are starting successful ISP businesses, and if there are not any, research why, before insisting on rules from the top down.

I do not want a know-nothing FCC making rules about how the internet should remain pure. If you want a pure internet get rid of the rules in your local governments that prevent other providers from providing your area a service. Open markets where customers are in charge. The reason areas only have one or two providers is because of government rules preventing smaller companies from installing fiber. Take away the government instituted monopolies and the free market can and does work.

It is easier to change policy for large corporations than it is the government. Companies can fail and die. If a government fails, well, look at Greece.

Re:neutrality breaks shared resources

[hackwrench]

The question is however, who gets to be allowed to do what and should the middlemen be allowed to do much of anything and if so, why? It isn't their packets to manage.

Re: Honest Question

[king neckbeard]

No, we know that there are a significant amount of people that oppose net neutrality. Telecom lobbyists, libertarian "Think Tanks", and assorted periphery. But, there aren't significant amounts of people that 1) understand the actual issues at a technical level and 2) don't have direct financial incentives to oppose net neutrality that oppose net neutrality.