BellSouth: "Charge Web sites for priority to our subscribers"

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: December 1, 2005 2:54:54 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: BellSouth: "Charge Web sites for priority to our subscribers"


Dave,

Here we go.  If anyone still wonders why some of us have been
sounding the alarms regarding ISP consolidation for so long, the
kinds of ultimately heavy-handed tactics outlined by BellSouth in:

http://www.pfir.org/ip-isps1

should demonstrate that our crystal balls were in pretty good shape
on this one.  Arguments that ISPs should be able to charge Web
services who are *not* their customers for "premium" access to those
ISPs' customers will lead us into an impenetrable quagmire ripe with
abuse.  Just imagine the ISP meetings regarding what the "standard"
access capabilities should be, as opposed to the so-called "premium"
service levels:

  "OK then boys, we've got it settled.  If they don't pay our
   premium, they get 300 bps effective access per IP connection.
   That's our new standard connection rate for those deadbeats.
   Ha!  That'll leave plenty of bandwidth for our porn video
   offerings!  Man, I love this business -- Ma Bell never had it
   better.  Hand me another cigar, will ya'?"

Seriously, if the ISPs are allowed to start charging non-customers
in the manner they envision, it will be only the first step in their
long-term dream of establishing those walled gardens that the
ARPANET-Internet evolution so inconveniently postponed for them.

By the way, note in the article referenced above how the mainstream
media has already switched to calling SBC by their new name of AT&T,
even though SBC's public rebranding effort has only just begun
(mentioning that AT&T has joined with SBC).

But we can all go ahead and call any of these firms by whatever
names we choose and it won't really matter, 'cause it won't change
the spelling of G-R-E-E-D.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () eepi org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, EEPI
  - Electronic Entertainment Policy Initiative - http://www.eepi.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com





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