The FCC passed new rules, in a 3-2 vote, that will regulate ISPs under title II as common carriers. The decision has been long awaited, and now that it’s here, the next phase in the battle begins. It is likely that Verizon, along with others, will appeal this ruling in coming months. Opponents of the decision accuse the FCC’s new powers as being to broad reaching. Even one-time staunch supporter NetFlix seems to have flipped their views since the decision was made.

The only clear detail in this debate is that the fight over net neutrality will continue for years to come. So sit down and enjoy the unpredictable ride. In the meantime, here are some interesting articles about the debate surrounding the recent ruling:

No One Is Neutral On Title II

Yes, Net Neutrality Passed…But It Might Not Happen

F.C.C. Approves Net Neutrality Rules, Classifying Broadband Internet Service as a Utility

Happy Reading,

Dan B.

James Johnson

I have worked in the tech industry since high school starting with building my first personal PC to creating a online business while in college to working with numerous ISP’s and telco providers.  I have worked in customer service for about ten years now and will be entering my sixth year at VOIPo in 2015.  I’m a recently married homeowner living just outside of city limits which has opened up a wide array of possibilities from gardening, composting, chickens, goats, etc.  My current hobbies are computers, gaming(both digital and board games are still cool), home-brewing, carpentry, and gardening. This year I intend to get into robotics through some of the Arduino boards with the hope that I can learn to automate some of my other hobbies to free up time.  I am an avid Internet reader and love learning new things.

What is your contribution at VOIPO?

What motivates you?

Above anything else family and friends motivate me the most.  They’ve always been there for me and I rely on them more then anything else.

Your 5 dream Jeopardy categories?

“name that IPA”

“what’s Chris G. wearing today”

“Wear are my pants??”

“Is this my hotel room?”

“Y U Lie(inside jokes remain
inside)”.

An interesting article by Jose Fernandez and Eric Lorber in the most recent issue of Foreign Affairs discusses the future of the telecom sector in an embargo-free Cuba. Whether you agree or disagree with the decision to end the embargo, most can find gratification knowing that many more people will have broadband access.

 

Cuba has one of the lowest levels of Internet penetration in the world. According to the International Telecommunication Union, only 25 percent of Cubans have access to the Web, and those connections are slow and often monitored by the government. Meanwhile, Cuban telecom penetration rates are the lowest in Latin America: ETECSA, Cuba’s sole telephone company, serves only 18 percent of Cubans—a lower percentage than war-torn Afghanistan. Increasing Internet access will have economic and political benefits for the Cuban people, as Internet connectivity can drive long-term economic development by facilitating efficient information distribution, lowering transaction costs, and reducing barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. According to the World Bank, there is a 1.3 percent rise in economic growth for every ten-percentage-point increase in a country’s high-speed Internet connections.

. . .

For the development of the telecommunications sector to have the intended effect of bringing Cubans information from the outside world, and for U.S. companies to become involved, Cubans will need the kind of Internet access that the government will be loath to grant. But unlike in the past, Havana will no longer have the U.S. embargo to blame.

Read the full article here.

Cheers,

Dan B.