In the defense of FCC Chairman Genachowski’s proposal to adopt an “lite Title II” regulatory framework for Internet transmission services, Austin Schlick (General Counsel of FCC) is using an often repeated argument that the certainty of regulation is better than the uncertainty of impending regulation.  Schlick argued: “If anyone in this room believes you’re going [...]

Declan McCullagh really gets to the heart of where the net neutrality battle stands right now. The last time there was a major rewrite of telecommunications laws, it took something like five years for Congress’ internal mechanisms to spit out the Telecommunications Act of 1996. A push for national cable franchising legislation went on for [...]

Harris reports that Facebook has announced a more simple, top-level system of handling privacy over user information and how that information is shared with applications and third parties. These privacy controls will remain consistent from this point forward even if Facebook rolls out further updates.

The fundamental problem is that the parties are attempting to use the mechanism of a class action settlement to create an industry structure, highly advantageous to Google, that could never be arrived at by either the market or by a rulemaking proceeding conducted by a responsible government agency.

When talk turns to the payload data Google collected surreptitiously through its Street View cars, the company has said the data is fragments and is looking to destroy it. The destruction of the data runs contrary to the wishes of many countries unwilling to take Google’s word for what’s in it. What’s the worst that could be in the data? I have one theory…

Chairman Genachowski has said only 6 sections of the Title II regulations will be applied to broadband and this would give “confidence and certainty that this renunciation of regulatory overreach will not unravel…” Yesterday, the FCC reached just a little further and 6 sections became 7… “According to sources, the Federal Communications Commission will add [...]

ISPs in the US now feature speed tiers north of 50-100 mbps. Yet Speedtest.net data indicates the US has a low average speed. That doesn’t mean the US is falling behind, it simply demonstrates that most people will pay the minimum that affords them a good experience. Do they need 50mbps to watch YouTube or play Xbox Live? Nope. Not at all.

For Art Brodsky, it’s all about the vibe, man… But the fact is, engineering makes the network possible, it keeps you from getting fragged by less skilled players, and makes your video run. But it won’t make you feel warm or fuzzy.

When FCC Chairman Genachowski shared his “third way” of “light touch” regulation back on the 6th of May, he promised that,

“The Commission would take steps to give providers and their investors confidence and certainty that this renunciation of regulatory overreach will not unravel.”

Atkinson and Castro explain that 48 of 50 states are currently in budget shortfall. They estimate that this is close to $196 billion dollars in the year 2010 alone.