We need a better Internet in America

[Gerry Hull]

:
> On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 12:26 AM, G Rundlett <greg.rundlett at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I hope to not only preserve an open Internet, but to expand it.
>
>  Please explain "open Internet".
>

Open for me means, I, as a consumer or business, I buy bandwidth from
a provider.  If a bandwidth provider says they will deliver me 10Mpbs,
and  (non-real-life) let's say a content source can deliver data to me
at 10Mbps, I should get 10Mbps throughput.  No protocol fiddling,
nada, (For now, let's ignore the technical realities.)

- An open internet means if I want to bit-torrent all day from a site
who can deliver me content at rated speed, I can.
- An open internet means that if I want content of a certain type
(VOIP traffic, for example) which competes with a product my bandwidth
supplier happens to provide, I can be sure the traffic will be
delivered without hindrance or fiddling.
- An open internet means that If I'm a business trying to compete
with, let's say Comcast, in a business like, for example, VOD, and the
only competitive supplier of bandwidth is Comcast, I will be able to
do it without restriction or worry that they will hinder my business.

Without regulation, there is too much temptation to mess with things.
Remember, Comcast did NOT change the way it handles bit-torrent
traffic (in fact they denied they were doing anything) until they were
embarrassed into admitting it and then they finally made changes..
I'm not for regulation -- but let's not let the megacorps control the
internet like the megabanks control the financial system.

- An open internet is one where the small guy is on the same footing
with the big guy.

Although it would never happen, I'd like to see bandwidth providers
STAY in the bandwidth-providing business... The problem is, they see
all the innovation and huge profits going on with content providers
and want a piece of the action.  That's all well and good -- until it
stifles the little guys.

I do not confuse "open internet" with "universal access".  Universal
access for true broadband is a big problem in the US, and that's one
of the things the FCC is trying to tackle with the National Broadband
Initiative (perhaps using some of the USF).

A couple of other comments:
- I use VOIP exclusively for home and home office.  No Comcast or
Vonage -- just a great gateway provider (voip.ms) and a hosted pbx....
My 1Mbps/512kbps Wireless ISP provides almost flawless call quality to
my endpoints in the house/office.  (I can count the number of bad
calls on 1/2 a hand in the last two years).
- Those who complain that bandwidth is still too expensive and have
Comcast or Verizon are not living in reality.  The above mentioned
service is $80/mo.  Ouch!

Gerry Hull
gerry at telosity.com