AT&T Agrees To Keep The Net Neutral For 30 Months To Get BellSouth
from the punting-until-later dept
With FCC chair Kevin Martin unable to push through an approval for the AT&T BellSouth merger due to an (no, seriously, don't laugh) ethical stance from a fellow commissioner, it looks like AT&T needed to go back to the bargaining table. With rumors swirling that a deal would be wrapped up by the end of the week, AT&T has apparently told the FCC that it will commit to adhere to network neutrality rules while guaranteeing low-cost DSL access for at least 30 months after the merger. In essence, this is a punt move to get approval for the deal. With no network neutrality legislation being passed by Congress this year, it has the potential to come up again next year, with Democrats slightly more likely to enforce net neutrality rules -- in which case this concession would be pretty much meaningless anyway. At the same time, AT&T probably recognizes that a lot can change in the next two and a half years, and if they're serious about breaking network neutrality, they wouldn't be likely to do so in any big way for at least a little while anyway. Right now, they're more focused on building out their network, and the whole idea of breaking network neutrality would probably be shelved for a year or two anyway. This should allow the deal to go through, but we're sure this won't be the end of the whole network neutrality debate (by a long shot). Update: The details are beginning to filter out. Among the surprises: the cheap DSL would be naked DSL (no phone service required) for $19.95. That certainly beats their old offering that made naked DSL just as expensive as if you bundled a useless phone line, around $45. There are also additional promises about creating new jobs in the US and getting rid of some overlapping wireless licenses. Update 2: We've got another post up that looks at some of the fine print suggesting maybe the concessions aren't very big concessions after all.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Low Cost DSL?
Or do they mean the unbundled DSL that's only $43 a month? A whopping $2 savings!
I don't see any low prices here, does anyone else?
How can the FCC?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Run down of the concessions
http://www.sanjayparekh.com/archives/2006/12/28/att-compromise-a-gain-for-consumers/
In a nutshell, they are offering to provide naked DSL (not requiring phone service) for $19.95/month but capping it to 768kbps service. They also say they'll provide 768 kbps service to current customers who don't have broadband access for $10/month. Not bad for folks who haven't upgraded or are still on the other side of the digital divide.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
monopoly
oh, and great, they're going to commit to network neutrality, for 30 months. that's great. glad to hear in 30 months and 1 day we'll have one locked down internet that'll start raping us and bring the whole internet to a stand still (and of course, as an industral nation) stop internet innovation.
GREED. How bout our governement stop doing stupid things and start making things like net nutrality, monoplies between phone companies, and price fixers pay big time.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stop Whinning and vote
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Fight Club, eh?
Your views intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Fight Club, eh?
The second rule of ScytheNoire is we do not talk to ScytheNoire.
But you are certainly welcome to beat yourself stupid in the parking lot of a redneck bar. Many will be entertained. None will participate (in beating themselves).
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
AT&T thinks in terms of decades, not months
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Just stop dealing with these vermin and their shareholders which by the way if we look at the shareholders are a lot of us in the teachers federation, many unions someone who has the time to find out this info and just demand OUR shares be pulled from all these sick greedy so called ellite huh
Togeather we'll beat this scorge once and for all!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]