TechCrunch predicts a matter of time before Google becomes a wireless carrier. But is Google prepared to raise their capital expenditures 20-fold and employee headcount 10-fold? Are they prepared to halve their profit margin and stock valuations to get into the carrier business?

In light of the closing of 2010, it is only appropriate to take a slight look back at 2010 at some of our biggest news maker posts of the year. For your enjoyment and re-perusal, we present Digital Society’s Top 10 Posts of 2010.

The FCC just declared paid Prioritization legal and illegal at the same time by giving it two arbitrary names. Defined as “Peering” or “Interconnection”, it’s legal but not if it’s called “Paid Peering”. The FCC’s justifications made even less sense.

Preserving the Free and Open Internet Federal Communications Commission December 23, 2010 If you still have yet to see it, we have provided a link to the FCC’s new rules on the “Free and Open Internet” or Net Neutrality.  The rules rules are too lengthy to discuss in much detail here, but will be discussed [...]

Harold Leventhal, a D.C. Circuit judge of the 1960s &  70s who was renowned for his administrative law wisdom, once expressed impatience over extended legal regulatory disputation with the comment: “[This] is the kind of issue where a month of experience will be worth a year of hearings” (359 F.2d 624 at 633). The FCC [...]

The French are looking to impose higher fees on Google for its YouTube service because of its high bandwidth which would overturn the correct price set by the market, but where are they getting these awful ideas? If the FCC can try to set peering and transit prices, why shouldn’t the EU do the same but in a way that favors European companies?

In all the chatter across the net about the Federal Communications Commissions passage of Net Neutrality rules I have yet to see anyone point out the ironic part of the “unofficial announcement of Commission action” press release.

Reason.tv gives their explanation of Net Neutrality and the potential future consequences in this video.

So, here we are. Yesterday the FCC voted 3-2 to issue new rules governing the Internet. I expect the order to be struck down by the courts and/or Congress. Meantime, a few observations:

By announcing that it is outlawing paid prioritization, the FCC is declaring that equal treatment is discriminatory. Even if a service is available to all at the same price, which some might think is the essence of NON-discrimination, anyone who does not want to pay for the extra can protest, and apparently have the service [...]