Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell addressed the
FCC's plans to regulate Internet providers -- just the latest intrusion from an administration that has never met a government regulation it did not love. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Here's a
little background on the issue. And here's McConnell's statement from the floor of the Senate, below. I wonder if the reference to Trojan Horse is an
Internet pun?
“Later today the Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve new rules on how Americans access information on the Internet. It has a lot of people rightly concerned.
“The Internet has transformed our society, our economy, and the very way we communicate with others. It’s served as a remarkable platform for innovation at the end of the 20th century and now at the beginning of the 21st century — and all of this has been made possible because people have been free to create and innovate, to push the limits of invention free from government involvement.
"Now that could soon change. Today, the Obama Administration, which has already nationalized health care, the auto industry, insurance companies, banks and student loans, will move forward with what could be a first step in controlling how Americans use the Internet by establishing federal regulations on its use. This would harm investment, stifle innovation, and lead to job losses. And that’s why I, along with several of my colleagues, have urged the FCC Chairman to abandon this flawed approach. The Internet is an invaluable resource. It should be left alone.
“As Americans become more aware of what’s happening here, I suspect many will be as alarmed as I am at the government’s intrusion. They’ll wonder, as many already do, if this is a Trojan Horse for further meddlingby the government. Fortunately, we’ll have an opportunity in the new Congress to push back against new rules and regulations.”
1 comment:
It seems to me like the FCC completely bypassed wireless, the real problem. The FCC's response:
"Further, we recognize that there have been meaningful recent moves toward openness, including the introduction of open operating systems like Android. In addition, we anticipate soon seeing the effects on the market of the openness conditions we imposed on mobile providers that operate on upper 700 MHz C-Block spectrum, which includes Verizon Wireless, one of the largest mobile wireless carriers in the U.S.
In light of these considerations, we conclude it is appropriate to take measured steps at this time to protect the openness of the Internet when accessed through mobile broadband."
Android can be as open as they want and data carriers can and will still block/restrict data. It is the FCC's job to protect consumers, and allowing carriers to ditch unlimited data and be like this: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/19/wireless-carriers-openly-considering-charging-per-service/ would be beyond bad for 13 year olds like me already paying $30 a month for their smartphone data.
Though I am usually against government involvement in anything, I do believe that something should be done for consumers like me who are enslaved to carriers with 2 year contracts, but why for wired connections? This is where I could see Obama try something.
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