Internet, Interrupted

[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] Telephone companies in the US that provide broadband Internet connections are starting to tread on dangerous ground. They are mooting charging companies that provide Internet services such as telephony and video-downloading fees to ensure a speedy and high-quality connection. The phone companies such as BellSouth and Verizon Communications say it is expensive to build networks, such as Verizon's new fibre-optic connection to homes and offices, and they need to recoup their investment. They also say that some services - notably online gaming and video - take up a lot of bandwidth and capacity. There are a couple of obvious flaws in the phone companies' case. One is that they are already being paid by customers to provide the network connection. The second flaw is the idea that network capacity is hugely limited. The speed of Internet connections, not only in the US but in other countries, has been rising and advances in technology will ensure that this continues. Phone companies have already been stopped by the Federal Communications Commission from crudely blocking services that do not suit them. The phone companies are now taking a second run, in a subtler manner, by proposing to provide a fast-lane for those who pay. That approach would be unfortunate even if there were free competition among broadband providers. At least consumers could then select a provider that offered open access. But, in practice, most people at best have a choice between a DSL and a cable Internet connection. The FCC, and other communications regulators, should ensure that utilities do not distort Internet services for their own ends.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/9073a884-8248-11da-aea0-0000779e2340.html
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* Quest's Quest to Limit Users' Use of the Internet
http://www.saschameinrath.com/node/279/print