Internet road rules near FCC vote Part 2
WIRELESS FREEDOMGenachowski has proposed giving wireless Internet providers even greater freedom to manage traffic, in recognition of wireless' status as a younger technology.Supporters of the wireless portion of the plan say it recognizes the limited bandwidth available to support everything from telephone calls to movie downloads.
At stake is how quickly handheld devices, like Research in Motion Ltd's BlackBerry and Apple Inc's iPhone, can receive videos and other data-heavy content.Some critics of Genachowski's proposal say it gives Internet providers too much power and fear it could harm consumers, stifle innovation and carve up the Internet in irreversible ways, contrary to "open" Internet concepts.
More than 80 groups sent a letter to the FCC on December 10, saying Genachowski's proposal was not "real" net neutrality.
They demanded a ban on paid prioritization of online content, which would prohibit Internet providers from charging websites for a "fast lane" to reach users more quickly."It is likely that there is going to be strong language disfavoring paid prioritization," said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, senior vice president and policy director of the Media Access Project.
Medley Global Advisors analyst Jeffrey Silva said Copps and Clyburn would likely vote to adopt the rules, but issue statements outlining where they believe the regulations fall short.Specific details of the draft order have not been made public as the commissioners work to shape the final proposal.
Silva expects the final rules to stay close to Genachowski's December 1 outline of his proposal, to avoid angering the various Internet stakeholders currently backing his plan.Arbogast said tougher rules would stir up these stakeholders and could prompt more aggressive challenges of the rules in court, particularly from wireless carriers like AT&T Inc and the cable television companies.
Schwartzman said everybody who is unhappy will go to court. "I would expect challenges from all directions -- people who think it's gone too far and people who think it hasn't gone far enough."
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