H.R. 96 – To Prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from Further Regulating the Internet
Rep. Marsha Blackburn & 62 Cosponsors
1/5/2011

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.

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 [...]

Today is a different day. Today is the day the hammer of regulation is expected to drop on the Internet for the very first time. In light of that I felt it was best to offer a somewhat different research post today. Presented below are various sound offs about what to expect with the anticipated Network Neutrality regulation from the Federal Communications Commission from Franken to Farber & Faulhaber.

Espinosa, an Internet entrepreneur discusses a recent meeting with FCC Commissionaire Julius Genachowski and a number of other Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to discuss the Net Neutrality debate. Espinosa discusses how he and others in the technology sector that support the open Internet but would like to see light touch regulation were pleased with the latest proposal from the FCC.

The authors look at a new push by the FCC to promote a retail market for set-top-boxes as directed by Congress in Section 629 of the Communications Act. The authors point out the failure of the previous attempt, CableCard, and examine the new attempt, “AllVid”. With AllVid, any multichannel video program distributor (MVPD) would provide some type of adapter which would be a proprietary connection for all retail market televisions, DVRs, media PCs, Internet television devices, or any other device for use in this arena.

Weinman has posted a two part series on pay-per-use broadband on GigaOm. He introduces the subject by looking at how providers began offering Internet service by the minute and moved on to flat rate plans. But these same companies are now looking at returning to a consumption based model, but based on bits rather than minutes spent online.

Goldstein reports that Verizon Wireless CEO Ivan Seidenberg has stated that data plan rates for Verizon’s new LTE 4G mobile data service have not been decided. Seidenberg has stated that, “…the company’s higher-end data plan could serve as a template for the offerings.”

Senators Snowe and Warner have introduced a bill to the Senate that will place Wi-Fi and femtocell access points in government buildings.

The FCC has posted a nice HD copy of a video of Chairman Genachowskis presentation from December 1st. The speech goes over the proposal for the rules expected for preserving the “open Internet”.