Verizon's diabolical plan to turn the Web into pay-per-vie

[labeeman]

The carrier wants to charge websites for carrying their packets, but if they win it'd be the end of the Internet as we know it


Think of all the things that tick you off about cable TV. Along with brainless programming and crummy customer service, the very worst aspect of it is forced bundling. You can't pay just for the couple of dozen channels you actually watch. Instead, you have to pay for a couple of hundred channels, because the good stuff is scattered among a number of overstuffed packages.
Now, imagine that the Internet worked that way. You'd hate it, of course. But that's the direction that Verizon, with the support of many wired and wireless carriers, would like to push the Web. That's not hypothetical. The country's No. 1 carrier is fighting in court to end the Federal Communications Commission's policy of Net neutrality, a move that would open the gates to a whole new -- and wholly bad -- economic model on the Web.
As it stands now, you pay your Internet service provider and go wherever you want on the Web. Packets of bits are just packets and have to be treated equally. That's the essence of Net neutrality. But Verizon's plan, which the company has outlined during hearings in federal court and before Congress, would change that. Verizon and its allies would like to charge websites that carry popular content for the privilege of moving their packets to your connected device. Again, that's not hypothetical.

Verizon's diabolical plan to turn the Web into pay-per-view | The Industry Standard - InfoWorld

 

[Brink]

I think it's time everyone drop all services from these companies to send them a message that we would rather go without than to submit to corporate greed.

 

[labeeman]

I would have to agree with you Shawn, I just hope that the FCC view wins out for the nets sake.

 

[SIW2]

Ghastly.

 

[nenad285]

I agree Brink, all companies care about these days is money, money, money. What ever happened to caring about your customers?

 

[pcRat]

Companies always cared about money but they use to earn it. By making products that last and good customer service.
My dad has a 1961 GE refrigerator he bought used in 1964. It has been relocated 8 times and still works. No service call and no freon ever added. I'm on my 3rd refrigerator.
Today they test build them to last the duration of warranty+ 1 day so that we have to buy a new one.

 

[azasadny]

The Internet has already been "Balkanized", it's called Facebook...