It’s Monday,
The world won’t come to an end with the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to end Net Neutrality.
The repeal is highly unpopular with one poll indicating that eight out of 10 Americans are opposed to the proposal. So much for public opinion, FCC.
Foes of the move by the FCC and its chairman have rolled out nightmare scenarios of carriers shoving certain types of content to the slow lane.
By the way, Delaware does not seem to be overly concerned about the issue. Based on per capita Twitter rants, the state ranked 37th. One reason for the lack of concern – Delaware has among the nation’s highest Internet speeds, thanks to competition between Comcast and Verizon.
The Twitter data crunching comes from Sperling’s Best Places. Click here for a tweet map.
By tossing out Net Neutrality, one can envision a Rolls Royce-style mobile Internet for the elite, with ultra-slow access that will tempt many to pay more than they can afford.
Also, with media companies snapping up content providers, it is not hard to imagine a day when a politicized media giant might “accidentally” slow a dissenting viewpoint’s site to a crawl. This could occur from the left or the right.
So far, the giants of the industry, AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, et al., say nothing will change. They are right, for now. Their business models are based on people paying a couple of hundred dollars a month for cable and broadband.
Then again, we did see one troubling change from Comcast. (Check out this link). On the other hand, Comcast has suggested that Congress handle the issue, according to a blog from executive David Cohen. That makes sense, although cynics might suggest that Comcast knows that chances of legislation are nil.
Cord cutters who are dropping cable could mess up plans by the gigantic companies. But it isn’t hard to envision cable giants jacking up Internet access-only costs in response.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai claims critics are resorting to hysterics. He suggests that the pre-Net Neutrality system worked just fine in spurring investment.
What he does not factor in is the wave of consolidation in the past few years.
It is hard to find a large or mid-sized market that does not have either Comcast, Cox or Charter. With size comes the ability to control traffic and content.
Pai further suggests that the windfall from unleashing Net Neutrality will lead to companies investing in expanding high-speed access to more rural areas. I wouldn’t hold my breath as rural areas typically have lower incomes and can’t afford Lamborghini access.
But back to my point about the world not coming to an end.
As prices rise and companies revert to monopolistic practices, competitors will emerge, especially if the option does not involve run cable to your business or home.
One possibility is wireless broadband. Delaware has one carrier, WhyFly that has plans to add to expand to Rehoboth. Several other ripe targets exist in the state.
Of course, the FCC controls the wireless spectrum. If the worst fears of Net Neutrality critics come true, the Pai-led FCC could put the kibosh on further access to the wireless spectrum.
In other words, there is plenty of reasons to take issue with the FCC’s decision, even if nightmares do not become reality.
Agree or disagree with my rant? Simply hit the reply button and type away. – Doug Rainey, publisher.
