Internet service: business class

[Mark J Dulcey]

On 6/7/2010 1:47 PM, Tom Metro wrote:
>
> Net neutrality doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast, and it may prove
> to be the wrong approach. Rather than taking companies that provide
> content and Internet service, and regulating them to operate against the
> best interest of their content services, a more ideal approach would be
> splitting them into separate organizations, much the way the electric
> utilities were split between electric generation and distribution. Think
> what benefits that would have if it happened with cell phone carriers.
> (Use any electrically compatible phone on any network and run any
> application.) But of course this is too disruptive of the status quo and
> will never happen.

We used to have separation of content and carriage in the television 
business. Back in the 60s the FCC passed regulations that required the 
TV networks to divest most prime-time entertainment program production. 
Then in the 80s it all got undone.

I agree that in the best of all possible worlds, there would be complete 
separation of carriage and content companies. ISPs would not be allowed 
to produce or hold significant financial interest in any content other 
than their own web sites, which would be restricted to customer service 
and business information. Neither would cable TV companies or telephone 
companies. But getting to that point would require unwinding of many 
many mergers and business decisions of the past fifty years, and bucking 
a lot of people who have a LOT of money. It's not going to happen.

Regulating net neutrality is the next best thing; attempting to get 
content-neutral carriers without actually requiring massive divestment 
of assets. It's half a loaf, but it's all the bread we actually have any 
chance of getting.