Posted on 12/21/2017 7:22:36 AM PST by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — The Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal Obama-era regulations that barred internet and broadband providers from restricting websites and online services on Dec. 14. In a 3-2 vote along party lines, the commission subverted net neutrality efforts, now making it possible for service providers to change how customers access online sources. One local educator and internet service provider are questioning the recent decision.
The regulations brought on by the Obama administration restricted internet service providers from prioritizing or blocking certain websites or online services from its customers. The goal of net neutrality was to treat all internet traffic equally.
Tanya Biami, communications professor at Cochise College, said the FCC’s move to repeal the Obama regulation was a mistake. Though she’s not sure how the repeal will immediately affect local residents, Biami said she’s worried about how she and her students will be able to access information in the web if providers choose to prioritize services.
Cox Communications Southern Arizona Vice President Lisa Lovallo assured customers the popular service provider won’t be making any changes to how it delivers internet.
“We do not block, throttle or otherwise interfere with consumers’ desire to go where they want on the Internet. Cox has always been committed to providing an open Internet experience for our customers, and reversing the classification of Internet services does not change our commitment,” the email statement read. “We applaud FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for his leadership that has overturned the previous Commission’s decision to enact Title II, the 1930s-era utility telephone regulations. Reestablishing ‘light-touch’ regulation returns a level of certainty for consumer protections and future investment and innovation that spur the growth of the Internet.”
For Biami, the FCC repeal leaves her wondering if she will have to pay higher rates for internet services that are — at the moment — free with her current provider.
“It concerns me that it might impair the whole issue of freedom of speech and freedom of the media,” Biami said.
But this is more than just a price issue, she said. The repeal, Biami noted, could infringe on freedom of speech and access to information.
“When someone starts to restrict what we can read and what we can research, that’s scary,” she said. “We are getting a very narrow view. We are getting a very narrow perspective.”
But Benjamin Tyler said consumers have nothing to worry about. Tyler is a co-owner and operations manager at HPAZ.net, a local internet service provider operating the Hereford and Palominas areas. As a local internet service provider, Tyler said his company won’t be affected by the latest FCC decision. The repeal, he feels, will give providers the chance to prioritize operational activities like voice over internet protocol technology and other technology that might make services run smoother — something providers couldn’t do under net neutrality regulations.
“Unless you are in an area where there is only one internet provider and you can’t get anything else, these kinds of issues don’t really play a role at all,” he said. “You’re not going to keep customers if you want to block access to content that other people can get...That’s the nice thing about the free market: If they don’t like it they will leave.”
Though the repeal does give room for internet service providers to restrict access to online browsing, Tyler said consumers probably won’t be affected by the decision. Only customers who are limited to a small pool of providers, he said, should be concerned about possible restrictions.
“Net neutrality was nothing big and its repeal it certainly nothing big,” Tyler said.
NN repeal will be implemented next month but it is still going to have to make it’s way through court and Congressional challenges.
I see the Dims are ready blaming every cable increase on NN repeal. LOL.
>>>“When someone starts to restrict what we can read and what we can research, that’s scary,” she said. “We are getting a very narrow view. We are getting a very narrow perspective.” <<<
She needs to worry more about google/facebook/twitter
They specialize in that sort of thing.
Meanwhile, the people that are bothered the most by net neutrality are people that like to download software, music, movies and stream movies and tv all for FREE.
What I loved was how quickly local groups were to grouse about ‘sudden’ data caps from AT&T and Cox... You know, the ones that went into effect two years ago after the FCC illegally legislated through regulation...
wondering if she will have to pay higher rates
might impair the whole issue of freedom of speech
could infringe on freedom of speech and access to information.
This isn't 'news' - it's an emotional dump ... in the 'global warming' freakout style. (This MIGHT happen - that COULD happen - WORRIED horror could happen etc etc etc.
NN is difficult to understand. It really just seems to be a battle between the large internet service providers and the even larger monopolies of Google and Facebook.
Let me make this simple. Now you will get what you want to pay for. The communists wanted to dump you down to bring the free loaders up to the speed you received. They did not want you to be able to get faster internet if the parasite had slower access to the same content. Now you will get 5G and they won’t because they want free. It was all about communism and they lost!!
“NN is difficult to understand. It really just seems to be a battle between the large internet service providers and the even larger monopolies of Google and Facebook.”
==
A pox on all their houses!
Throwing them back to the horrible days of 2015 internet...wait, what?
huh? Who gets that for free? You have free 'internet'? Where do I sign up?
Just aggravating the snow flakes. That’s all.
I didn’t make it past the first paragraph. I stopped when I got to the word “subverted.”
“””For Biami, the FCC repeal leaves her wondering if she will have to pay higher rates for internet services that are — at the moment — free with her current provider. “””
I don’t get free internet but evidently “Biami” does.
I think obama phones come with some data plan.
Music, Movies, TV, Software are all available free with internet, through peer to peer file sharing - illegal as it may be.
ISPs were blocking or reducing speed when people went to file sharing sites but were no longer able to do that with Net Neutrality. That basically made it obama giving people freeshiot or at least making it more accessible. Obama was juz trying to make things more equal - rich people can buy all that stuff so he was making it easy for poor people to get it for free. Hence the nickname “commie net neutrality”.
And then there is the content issue. For the fees and taxes alone, we can buy two services.
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