Re: The end of the Internet

Steve de Mena wrote:
Kip Williams wrote:

Yes, more or less. The plan seems to be to go to a model where you get some particular range of commonly visited websites in the basic tier, and pay more for anything else.

I'd like to see that document, where one of the big ISPs is going to charge extra to visit certain websites.

Sounds like nonsense to me.

That's where this thread started. Articles speak of a secret plan, betrayed by leaked documents. Here's what I saw that led me to write the paragraph quoted above:

http://ipower.ning.com/netneutrality2

"Bell Canada and TELUS (formerly owned by Verizon) employees officially confirm that by 2012 ISP's all over the globe will reduce Internet access to a TV-like subscription model, only offering access to a small standard amount of commercial sites and require extra fees for every other site you visit. These 'other' sites would then lose all their exposure and eventually shut down, resulting in what could be seen as the end of the Internet."

When I looked for confirmation, I found repetitions of the same story, using the same words. This does, indeed, lead to some skepticism. I see I'm not alone in wondering. Here's part of another article:

http://noworldsystem.com/2008/06/17/secret-plan-to-kill-internet-by-2012/

"People have raised questions about the report’s accuracy because the claims are not backed by another source, only the “promise” that a Time Magazine report is set to confirm the rumor. Until such a report emerges many have reserved judgment or outright dismissed the story as a hoax.

"What is documented, as the story underscores, is the fact that TELUS’ wireless web package allows only restricted pay-per-view access to a selection of corporate and news websites. This is the model that the post-2012 Internet would be based on."

This latter article seems to have more information about efforts to restrict and meter internet and e-mail.

And here's some from 2007 about AT&T wanting to charge providers for putting their content on AT&T's pipeline:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2007/04/

"Stephenson’s statement makes it clear that he intends to carry forward Whitacre’s plan to block or degrade high-speed content of anyone who has not struck a special deal with AT&T.

"It is typical for broadband providers to bill their customers, and only their customers, for access to the Internet. What Stephenson and Whitacre are talking about is a scheme to ransom off access to these customers to the highest bidders — to add another toll, charging sites for first-in-line access to your connection.

"For AT&T it’s not just about delivering “your world” but about charging others for the privilege to enter “your world” in front of those that you’d prefer. The problem, of course, is that they’re selling out your free choice in the process.

"Stephenson scheme forces users to the sites that AT&T prefers. The phone and cable companies claim that this sort of discriminatory “double dipping” — charging both consumers and content providers — is necessary for them to provide the high speed services that Americans demand."

I'm kind of tired of digging now. I have to see if I can get a couple more boxes of books into shelves. I hope this information helps us all to arrive at the facts of the matter.

Kip W
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