Backward Arguments

After the court has twice struck down new rules they proposed, the FCC announced new rules which will provide for the high volume users, like Disney, Netflix, and any company with a checkbook, to buy into higher speeds with Internet Service Providers (ISP's).

The FCC and others who agree with them have argued this isn't hurting net neutrality because it won't inhibit the use and speed of "normal consumers" of the Internet, and improve the performance for people who buy into the provides of high volume data, such as movies.

They said this will give the ISP's the opportunity to add higher speed lines to the network specifically for these companies. What they didn't say was that there is no guarranttee the ISP's will actually build the lines but simply ramp up existing line they set aside for the new revenue stream.

What the FCC argued is backward logic, citing potentials, possibilities and opportunities, without actually providing rules which ensure it happens. In other words, net neutrality just died and the normal consumers will be the victims at the hands of the FCC and ISP's.

This is because the ISP's will charge less for the high speed lines and shift the real cost of it, if or when the add it, to the rest of the customers, and in the meantime, we'll just have to live with the new speed, or pay for an upgrade to a faster, more accessible lines and speeds.

In other words, while framing the argument it's about the high volume users, the left it open for the ISP's to layer the service where the current access and price will be reduced in access and line for new premium customer speeds and lines.

Yeah, as they say, it's about the money, yours. The companies buying into the fast track lines will pass the cost to their customers, heaven forbid they take it out of their profit, and the ISP's will pass the costs to all the other customers.

What's also hidden in this is what has long been mentioned, that the ISP's will now have the right and power to hinder content they don't like or want more money from those companies delivering the content. Content could easily become negotiatable for a price.

And what this will do is push those Websites, especially social networking Websites, news Websites, communications Website (Twitter), and others to reconsider their business model and what is free now may not be free in the future as these companies get hit for higher access fees for the volume of service.

And those companies will in turn requires an annual subscription to provide the same service they provided for free because ad revenue won't be sufficient to cover their cost and their profit. We can't ever forget it's about profit at our expense.

Heads the companies and ISP's win and tails the customers lose, and they keep your quarter. I hope the FCC doesn't expect thank you cards from all those normal customers. We certainly won't be to afford the price of an electronic stamp.