Verizon: U.S. So Competitive, It Doesn't Need Neutrality Rules If you'll recall, Verizon worked very closely with Google to help craft the FCC's net neutrality rules which, as a result, contained massive loopholes and didn't really cover wireless. That not being good enough for Verizon, the company then sued the FCC over the rules and won. Well, sort of; while the rules themselves were vacated, the courts did declare the FCC had authority to regulate broadband -- if they do so properly. While everybody waits for FCC boss Tom Wheeler to stop being painfully ambiguous, Verizon has unsurprisingly mirrored AT&T's comments in a filing with the FCC begging the agency to avoid passing any new consumer protections. To hear Verizon tell it, Verizon already runs an open network: quote: “An Open Internet benefits consumers and the Internet ecosystem generally,” Verizon says in papers submitted to the Federal Communications Commission late last week. “Consumers clearly benefit because they can access whatever lawful content, applications and services they choose. And ensuring such access makes sense for broadband Internet access providers because that is what consumers expect and demand." Verizon wireless users on locked, bloatware-packed devices should find that news interesting. Verizon has spent most of the last decade using their gatekeeper power to try and block out competing technologies, whether it was their original attempt to block competing GPS services on phones, or their long war against tethering. Despite this long history of anti-competitive and anti-consumer behavior when it comes to openness, Verizon argues you don't need neutrality rules because the market's just so competitive: quote: "Given the exceedingly competitive and dynamic nature of the mobile wireless marketplace, the absence of any demonstrated harm relating to mobile broadband practices, and the enormous welfare gains that the marketplace is conferring upon consumers, the Commission should avoid prescriptive regulation that will be outdated as soon as the ink is dry. Again, most Verizon Wireless users could probably rattle off a laundry list of examples over the last decade where Verizon abused their gatekeeper power to keep devices and services locked down. While you could argue that we survived these violations without neutrality rules in place, that didn't make them any less anti-consumer and annoying for users at the time. Verizon wireless users on locked, bloatware-packed devices should find that news interesting. Verizon has spent most of the last decade using their gatekeeper power to try and block out competing technologies, whether it was their original attempt to block competing GPS services on phones, or their long war against tethering. Despite this long history of anti-competitive and anti-consumer behavior when it comes to openness, Verizon argues you don't need neutrality rules because the market's just so competitive:Again, most Verizon Wireless users could probably rattle off a laundry list of examples over the last decade where Verizon abused their gatekeeper power to keep devices and services locked down. While you could argue that we survived these violations without neutrality rules in place, that didn't make them any less anti-consumer and annoying for users at the time. Still, all this is likely putting the cart before the horse, as it's becoming increasingly clear that Wheeler isn't going to do much of anything disruptive when it comes to crafting new rules. I'm still willing to wager that the end result of all of Wheeler's rhetoric is a series of voluntary, self-regulatory guidelines that claim to prevent the kind of abuses no ISP would do in its right mind (blocking a legal website), while giving full blessing for "creative" pricing practices like AT&T's sponsored data. Keep in mind Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam Keep in mind Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam recently proclaimed that the most important concept of net neutrality you need to understand -- is that users should be paying Verizon more money for bandwidth than they already do.







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GlennLouEarl

3 brothers, 1 gone

Premium Member

join:2002-11-17

Richmond, VA 3 recommendations GlennLouEarl Premium Member Inconceivable Verizon: "The US is so competitive."

Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."