Local Media: AOC Show on Net Neutrality

Update 6/5/06: The AOC segment discussed in this post is available for download. You can also paste this URL into your standalone video player.
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Happily coinciding with the national launch of the Save The Internet Coalition I’ll appear tonight at 9:00 on the AOC show “Meet the Democrats.”

The topic for the day is “Net Neutrality” and in the second part of the show host Stephen Handwerk and I discuss legislation that threatens to turn the current open internet into a system in which those who pay special, new fees to companies like AT&T/BellSouth will be allowed to cut to the front of the line whenever there is network congestion. –That’s the crux of the suggested system. Those who pay a fee cut to the front of the line. The rest of us will wait until they clear out of the way. (You can bet that if network congestion is allowed to become a profit center for the phone companies there will be of it. Lots more. Users are not going to like the new regime.)

If you’d like to do something about it or would welcome hearing more I suggest you watch the show. The discussion itself is interesting ands there are good references given. Getting in touch with your congress critters is a good idea…the corporations count on the public not being on top of give-aways like this one. Congress responds to real voter interest. But only you can make sure that they know this is one of the ones that counts.

Incidentally, this is NOT a partisan issue. (Mike and I made a well-received presentation on related state-level topics at the last Lafayette Republican Party Executive Committee meeting and that organization was a banner supporter of Lafayette during the fiber referendum…abuse by the incumbents is thoroughly bi-partisan issue.) Most of this legislation is now in the process of emerging from the House Commerce committee where Louisiana in not represented. Now is the moment to contact your federal representatives. Senator Vitter sits on the crucial Senate Commerce Committee and his vote on this issue appears up for grabs. Call or write Vitter to encourage him to support the open internet.