Get What You Pay For

GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Richard Notebaert, CEO Qwest]
[Commentary] According to the FCC, Net neutrality means that providers of Internet services must allow unfettered consumer access to the Internet. No one should deny or impede access to lawful sites on the Web. Everyone supports that position. But some very big corporations are trying to redefine Net neutrality away from a focus on access, and toward something far more nebulous and self-serving. Case in point -- assume an online movie provider negotiates a commercial agreement with a company like Qwest to guarantee download speeds of, say, five megabits per second, for all its customers. That's a pretty good idea in a world where every company is trying to differentiate itself from its competitors. "Not so fast," cry the naysayers. They claim that the idea of a premium level of service violates Net neutrality because that online movie company's competitors may not want to offer their customers the same benefits. Essentially, they argue that doing this would give some content providers an advantage over those that choose not to provide this service. Well, yes it would. As an industry, we've always sold bigger pipes and faster service to those who wish to buy them. And yes, I suspect much of that enhanced capacity has been bought to give the purchaser an edge. That's how a competitive marketplace works. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and the commission have already made positive moves away from over-regulation of broadband service. They have deliberately moved toward open and fully competitive markets to the benefit of customers and the prosperity of the Internet. It's essential that all decision makers continue to support true Net neutrality, as interpreted by the FCC. This will enable companies to compete, thrive and meet the needs of their customers. And it will put an end to the distortion of this admirable objective into a self-serving concept that was never intended.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114360648777910921.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
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