Telecom Lobbyists: We'll Fight State Efforts To Protect Net Neutrality For A 'United And Connected Future'
from the we're-the-phone-company-and-we're-here-to-help! dept
Since the FCC rushed to give telecom monopolies a sloppy kiss with its net neutrality repeal late last year, more than half the states in the country are now pursuing their own net neutrality rules. Some states (most recently Washington and Oregon) have already passed legislation that effectively takes the FCC rules and encodes them on the State level (in some cases with a few improvements). Other states have signed executive orders that prohibit states from doing business with or subsidizing ISPs that engage in anti-competitive behavior.
With the FCC's repeal on shaky legal ground and states now passing even tougher net neutrality rules, ISP lobbyists have truly begun reaping what they've sown. And it's becoming increasingly clear they're both annoyed and nervous as the true scale of their poor judgement comes into view.
For example, US Telecom, a top lobbying arm of the telecom sector (primarily funded and operated by AT&T), this week penned this blog post making it clear that major ISPs would fight tooth and nail against state efforts to (gasp) actually protect consumers from predatory telecom monopolies:
"It is said that ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions.’ Nowhere can we find a more perfect modern example for this sentiment than in the cacophony of disparate calls by state and local regulators across the country each seeking to impose their own brand of ‘net neutrality’ regulations on consumers’ internet experience."
Right. State level net neutrality protections that wouldn't exist if AT&T and USTelecom hadn't sued to overturn meaningful rules (both in 2010 and again in 2015), then prodded revolving door regulator Ajit Pai to repeal the FCC's extremely popular, modest and consistent federal protections. From here USTelecom makes its real agenda clear: reiterating the call for fake net neutrality laws it knows its member companies would get to write:
"Broadband providers have worked hard over the past 20 years to deploy ever more sophisticated, faster and higher-capacity networks, and uphold net neutrality protections for all. To continue this important work, there is no question we will aggressively challenge state or municipal attempts to fracture the federal regulatory structure that made all this progress possible.
We also will continue to work with Congress to enact one consistent set of national and permanent consumer protections. All Americans deserve equal rights online. Standing up for them means not merely saying no to state-level regulation, but hell no to the idea of dismantling what must be a united and connected future."
It takes an over-abundance of hubris to lobby and "donate" to government to kill extremely popular, uniform and modest consumer protections, then lecture people on the need for a "united and connected future."
US Telecom's blog post only really serves two purposes. One, telecom lobbyists are signaling they'll fight any state that actually tries to protect consumers from anti-competitive behavior by telecom monopolies (a "united and connected future" indeed). But while the FCC included language in their net neutrality repeal attempting to ban states from protecting consumers from privacy or net neutrality violations (at telecom lobbyist behest), the repeal they lobbied for leaves the FCC with shaky legal authority on that front (nice work, guys).
Two, they're again pushing for a fake net neutrality law they'll get to write. One that contains so many loopholes as to be useless when it comes to actually protecting consumers, but would pre-empt tougher state-level measures, and even the 2015 FCC rules should the FCC lose in court.
The more worried the telecom sector becomes about this whole thing blowing up in their faces, the harder you'll see them push for a new law they'll write that will only make the whole thing worse. For now if you support net neutrality, your best path forward remains hoping that the FCC loses in court, and if not, voting out lawmakers that prioritize AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Charter revenues over the will of the public and the health of the internet.
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Filed Under: ajit pai, fcc, net neutrality, states rights
Companies: at&t, us telecom
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"You know, one WE write."
We also will continue to work with Congress to enact one consistent set of national and permanent consumer protections.
If only there had been one consistent set of rules that applied no matter which state, such that the poor beleaguered telecom companies wouldn't have to face several dozen sets with their own individual quirks, a single set of rules that applied modest consumer protections and would only hamper actions that absolutely deserved to be hampered due to being excessively anti-consumer...
While we're at it, be nice if that hypothetical set of rules included simply privacy and data rules, or perhaps those could be part of another set of rules. As the champions of the public I'm sure that the likes of AT&T, Comcast and Versizon would have fully supported something like that as well, but alas, such is merely a dream, and they are now unjustly facing the abuse of power across many states who are looking to do no less than control the very internet itself.
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That's extremely bad for everybody, of course, but he's not necessarily lying about the aim if you read into it correctly.
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I'm not entirely sure wtf "United And Connected Future" means to them, but based upon past experience with these liars one might assume this is just another of many bullshit attempts at swaying public opinion.
But, they apparently do not give a shit about the public or their opinions, so what the hell is going on?
Is this bullshit simply to address the fears of their stockholders?
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People are not going to change their votes based on net neutrality. You guys helped make it into a partisan issue and that is where it is going to stay.
It sure is funny to see you guys now join my side in hoping the FCC is defeated. It's funny how quickly you guys will become fair weather friends when politics are involved.
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tastes a little gamy!
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Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three.
Five is right out.
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Independent thinkers must drive you nuts by refusing to fall in a particular group to form their opinion. They are not on your side as you put it, but more nuanced about what makes for good and bad laws.
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Sure performing research may cause said doubt to wane, but it could also cause it to wax.
It seems that you are making the implication that I did not do the research and that you believe that there is no way I could arrive at a conclusion different from your own. Is this the case?
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Is it true that concluding prior to evaluation is considered to be discrimination?
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yes, but so is concluding after evaluation a form a discrimination as well.
Discrimination is neither inherently good or bad, just like bias. These words have also been co-opted into inferring a negative connotation when they are not.
There is good discrimination and there is bad discrimination.
Good discrimination would be formulating your conclusion based on facts and evidence.
Bad discrimination is just formulating a conclusion without.
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I am curious about why you think you already know something to be true and therefore there is no need to actually look at it. Are you afraid of being an April fool?
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Support for NN and regulation in general is more popular than disliking NN and regulation.
I think radically different than most people on most things. You are more likely a conformist parading about as an independent thinker to hypocritically attack actual independent thinkers.
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But is that "thinking" about facts, data & analysis or is it simply what you think - devoid of any corroboration?
Independent thinking is not just thinking out side the cat box.
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Your post is nothing other than a thinly veiled you are not an independent thinker because you did not arrive at the same conclusions as me.
There is no requirement for a person to use facts, data, or analysis regardless of corroboration to be an independent thinker.
Independent thinking means you did the thinking and that you are NOT parroting someone else conclusions regardless of if your own conclusions match with theirs.
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In your mind.
"Your post is nothing other than a thinly veiled you are not an independent thinker because you did not arrive at the same conclusions as me."
Is it true that vampires can not see themselves in a mirror?
"There is no requirement for a person to use facts, data, or analysis regardless of corroboration to be an independent thinker."
really? ... well then - what exactly are you thinking about?
"Independent thinking means you did the thinking and that you are NOT parroting someone else conclusions regardless of if your own conclusions match with theirs."
Sorta like those claims of being a "self made man" - I made all this myself ... LOL, What a joke. Let's completely ignore the contributions made by those who went before us and deny the benefits of their experiences because ... that would admit weakness ... is that it?
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"Sorta like those claims of being a "self made man" - I made all this myself ... LOL, What a joke. Let's completely ignore the contributions made by those who went before us and deny the benefits of their experiences because ... that would admit weakness ... is that it?"
So tell me in your own words... o wait... you can't because you did not invent them. Yes, we certainly stand upon the shoulders of giants but your post is riddled with nonsense!
You show a shocking lack of critical thinking. When someone says "I made all this myself" it takes a really stupid, ignorant, and petty person to imply that they also meant to include that they also made all the materials and developed the knowledge/processes they used during the making of them.
the joke sir... is you!
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Yes, and yet they do exactly that.
I'm sure those that make such claims of having built everything themselves are very generous with their acknowledgements of the contributions of others that they have made use of, why look no further than the copyright folks - lol.
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No, they are not making that claim. You are just implying that falsehood to set people against them.
Show me someone that is making these claims you claim that they make?
"I'm sure those that make such claims of having built everything themselves are very generous with their acknowledgements of the contributions of others that they have made use of, why look no further than the copyright folks - lol."
Now this is a more fair statement than your previous shovel. I don't think everyone thinks to "acknowledge" every person they advanced off of out of ill intent. My employers have not openly recognized how many millions I have help generate or save them operationally either. Sure I helped, but I can't seriously believe that I was the ONLY factor involved yet the majority of it would be a result of my efforts and ideas.
Yes, some people do not properly attribute those that have helped them, but not everyone should spend 5 minutes rolling a list of credits every time they talk about things they achieved. It is just asinine to bring everyone down or minimize their contributions that way!
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How about the 47% bullshit?
I get what you are saying but perhaps you are being a bit easy on those who deserve criticisms.
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there was bullshit on both sides. How about we just ignore that bullshit instead?
"I get what you are saying but perhaps you are being a bit easy on those who deserve criticisms."
Oh no, by all means criticize... I never said don't criticize, I am just staying your criticisms are not totes legit and need to be toned down some.
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Why is this excuse used to dismiss a point simply because two political parties are both assholes? The point remains.
Mitt was sucking up to the rich donors by stroking their misconceptions and bias of poor people. He was trying to tell them that the votes of poor people do not matter, but it was the 47% silliness that really did it. The takers/makers comment was also a huge mistake.
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Because before you can see clearly enough to pick the spec out of their eye you need to get the beam out of yours first!
Hypocrisy is a fucking problem and until you get rid of it, you need to be called out on it repeatedly!
"Why is this excuse used to dismiss a point simply because two political parties are both assholes? The point remains."
Only partially is my point. The brownie points you earned are cancelled out by the shit points you spewed!
"Mitt was sucking up to the rich donors by stroking their misconceptions and bias of poor people. He was trying to tell them that the votes of poor people do not matter, but it was the 47% silliness that really did it. The takers/makers comment was also a huge mistake."
And he paid for it! Maybe not as much as you would like, but he did.
In my opinion there should be no person paying any income tax. Everything should be sales tax that way all contribute and there is not tax fuckery going on like there is now! Tax should be directly tied to GDP so that Congress will be encourage to create laws and enrich the masses vs just the few with huge pockets.
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Let's summarize all the things that I am so far; ignorant, not intelligent, not a critical thinker, hypocrite. Did I leave any out?
Oh, and wtf does income tax have to do with this?
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And thinking the force of gravity attracts objects together is more popular than thinking it repels.
When every single point of observable evidence points in a single direction, then acknowledging that fact doesn't mean someone's merely being "conformist."
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You wasted a whole lot of words to call me stupid by using an ignorant and fucked up comparison!
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and yet you claim that .... lets see here ...
There is no requirement for a person to use facts, data, or analysis regardless of corroboration to be an independent thinker.
Maybe he is just being one of your "independent thinkers" ?
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There is no requirement for an independent thinker to be correct in their thoughts or to follow your prescribed path to be one. This is a fallacy your logic is holding and you need to be rid of it!
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and now I am also not intelligent!
Woohooo - is there a trifecta?
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Just work to improve, as we all must, and do not hate admonishment. It if is justified accept it, I do.
I hate being wrong more than anything. I do not hate those that admonish me, but I will challenge it if I think they are wrong.
I usually predict the outcome of things fairly well, just like with my prediction of Wheeler and the new NN rules. I correctly predicted that they would backfire, but I did not correctly predict how MUCH they backfired, they backfired more than I predicted.
I assumed that Ajit was going to just ignore enforcement let the loophole Zero Rating become overused, I was not expecting a total repeal.
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https://imgur.com/gallery/uJNKH
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Actually we are. You are the only one who doesn't seem to understand that. NN has long been tested and validated and is qualified enough to be law (because, you know, the internet was developed on the basis of NN).
There are absolutely ZERO facts to support your position. The fact that you insist otherwise means you haven't actually researched the topic or are in fact not such an independent thinker as you claim to be, and are in fact just parroting whatever conformist group think opinion you happen to buy into on the current day.
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Nobody here turned it into a partisan issue, TD has stated (with survey results backing up) that it is bipartisan and has broad support overall. Ajit Pai and bought politicians tried but failed, people still largely agree on NN.
"It sure is funny to see you guys now join my side in hoping the FCC is defeated"
I believe you are the "regulations bad!" neanderthal that regularly takes swings at straw men here so I'll have to pop your bubble: we want 2015 NN regulations back and FCC doing it's part both with oversight and proper punishment when needed under said regulatory framework.
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TD is non-partisan from what I've seen. However, TD is also ultra-progressive, which means any party that's anti-progressive will be painted in a bad light.
Kind of like I'm someone who likes to keep all my blood inside myself. It's not that I'm anti-mosquito, I even avoid killing them when possible. But if one of them comes after me to suck my blood, I'm not going to passively sit by and claim that I need to give every insect equal opportunity.
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Sounds just like, I am not racist but....
Look, TD can think it is what it wants.
It is all relative, since I am fairly centrist (if tests are to be believed) I view most things in a left or right context because there is almost never anything centrist. Most things are ego-centric, including politics.
From MY perspective TD is clearly left leaning and the term "progressive" is just a euphemism for being left and being right is "unprogressive" by the virtual of it not being left. It's all just a mind game to co-opt words in ways that paint the opposition in a negative light.
Developing gas engines on fossil fuels used to be progress until we notice that all this pollution is not good. Electric engines technically came first but because $$$ counts more than anything we fucked it up. We still called in progress though. So apparently "progressive" is every bit as subjective and relative as any other label you can paste on something.
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Got it. You can't be taken seriously.
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If you treat everyone that you don't like or agree with as someone that cannot be taken seriously then you will end up being alone and help persuade them to join a side that is against you.
I would actually like for you guys to stop acting like you know more, understand more, and are just all around better than everyone else that arrives at a conclusion different from your own. You often accuse me of it, but what I am doing is giving you your own medicine back to you, intentionally.
You folks are entirely self absorbed and full of yourself. You are all full of hubris to the point where it is not possible to reason with you. It is only your way, or they cannot be taken seriously. This is literally what helped make Trump president because they got tire of the politicians with this exact same attitude.
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Says the man so full of hubris that he does not bother to argue his point, but rather insult people from the start.
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The first insult was not mine. You get treated badly because you have no intellectual integrity or ability to look at the time stamps and find out who insulted first.
You keep lying or fucking it up, you are assuming my readiness to call out your bullshit is a form of hubris... it is not. It's CALLED not wanting to put up with ya bullsheeet!
I don't hate you guys, but you do hate me. I want you guys to stop shooting yourselves in the foot and seize hold of your own destinies rather than finding them on the roads you take of avoid them.
While my destiny is radically different from yours, your terrible decisions still impact me, and the more of you running around the greater that impact.
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No actually that's you. You claim TD is lying but completely ignore the fact their conclusions and opinions are backed up by outside sources WHICH THEY LINK TO IN THEIR ARTICLES.
You, on the other hand, have no evidence to support your position but get all upset when we point it out.
So who is lying here? The people making informed decisions based on publicly available facts that are linked to and in plain view? Or the lone guy who can't just shows up to whine and complain because the facts are messing up his delusional view of reality?
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Isn't the "you started it" argument a bit juvenile?
How old are you?
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This breed of blending pipes and content is, effectively, a band of ruffians serving only themselves collectively bent on a hostile takeover of the internet.
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I agree with regulation for this and have stated it many times.
"NN is simply a band-aid on a gushing chest wound that wouldn't even need to exist were it that we had real competition."
Very much agree with this, but free-market ideas are hated around here.
"This breed of blending pipes and content is, effectively, a band of ruffians serving only themselves collectively bent on a hostile takeover of the internet."
Yes, and the "regulate all the things" mentality around here is facilitating that, but they are too stupid to realize it, despite me telling them.
There is only 1 future for the internet. Locked-Down. But as these guys have already stated. Regulation is supported on a bi-partisan basis. What form that regulation takes is still nebulous as fuck but still supported.
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And this conclusion is based upon what.
I would expect to hear such rubbish from an uninformed yes man.
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You won't remember it, and when I say I told you so, you won't admit it... you are just going to hate me more, because I still won't buy the BS.
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Reminds me of those long lost days on the play ground, elementary school children logic - those were the days huh.
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keep winning at life friend!
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Have you ever heard of the notion, reaping what you sow?
I knowingly agitate you guys because it is impossible not too. Why? Because just the act of disagreement is an agitation for you because you desire an echo chamber, you do not like your ideas being challenged or insulted, and you dang sure hate it when I tell you guys that I told you so.
So let me help you out with something. Just as I must face down the hordes of human sheep, so must you contend with those unwilling to buy and swallow your bullshit!
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Rather than the golden rule, you seem to have a rusty rule.
I do not want anyone to swallow anything. What are you going on about?
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Vengeance means I am just trying to demolish you, not improve you. I want you numb nuts to improve, not be harmed. You just get harmed because you let harsh words bend you out of shape.
I am just letting you know how it feels.
"Rather than the golden rule, you seem to have a rusty rule."
I actually follow the original rule, which this is a substitution of.
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As you likewise improve yourself and your understanding of others ....... excuse me while I barf.
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Whether I understand or not will always be up for debate.
Disagreement with you does not mean that I do not understand and neither does it mean that you don't either. But you are ready to make the false statement that I don't understand without knowing any better.
Either of us may be missing something about this debate.
Again, just clean up when you are done!
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As for "joining your side". When the FCC changed from being quasi helpful under Wheeler to disasterous under Pai of course the tides changed. Your stupid comment acts like the same people are running it or the organization still has the same objectives when in reality it has made a 180 from the path it had been on.
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Hmm, dial up has long been replaced by much faster and more reliable connections. Somebody has to provide them with updated info.
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Fixed that for them...
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It is not about getting MORE. It is about having more than you or being the one with MOST or more than most.
In short.
Person with $1 feels like a giant compared to the person with none.
And the person with $10 feels like a giant to the person with $1.
And the person with $1million is the one buying what they want and when they want it. It does not matter if it is one million or ten million, just as long as it is well beyond the reach of YOU!
So no, that is NOT the dilemma they face!
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I can not speak for others here (unlike yourself),
but - yes - I am ignorant.
Being ignorant is not "bad" as you seem to think, it is a condition which afflicts everyone to varying degrees, who knew?
Now, if you were to be more specific about the area(s) in which you believe I am particularly ignorant, that might be a step forward but I doubt your commitment.
Now - what exactly about greed do I not understand? I think they want all they get their hands on and they do not want people to know how low they had to go.
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but - yes - I am ignorant. "
We all are ignorant!
"Being ignorant is not "bad" as you seem to think, it is a condition which afflicts everyone to varying degrees, who knew?"
I agree with you, being ignorant is not bad in and of itself. But I do not think it as being "bad" you think I think of it. I think of ignorance as being "not ideal". A person that admits their ignorance is the person that often knows more than most because they have achieved enough wisdom to discover than every answer leads to more questions.
"Now, if you were to be more specific about the area(s) in which you believe I am particularly ignorant, that might be a step forward but I doubt your commitment."
This is a long explanation so buckle up!
Mileage may very, but as someone who grew up poor/starving and is now in the upper middle class. I realized that my ideas of "having" have changed based on what I have. When I started, I reasoned, if I could just have $50,000 a year I would be content. When I reached it... I then realized the limitations of my buying power and realized that I was short sighted in my youth. I then reasoned that if I could just have $100,000 a year I would be content and then realized, I was again short sighted. I now make significantly more than that, and the only thing I can think... I was shortsighted.
I soon came to the conclusion that... I was never shortsighted. I just kept running into assholes that had more money and power than me and they wanted to use it to oppress me and control me or lord it over me. I wanted money to help stop that. I also ran into assholes that thought they knew more and would lord it over my head so I took delight in demolishing them when I proved them wrong. It takes effort to avoid being narcissistic like many of the fuck ups around here but I am not better than they are at the end of the day. Just not as fucked up and that does not make you better.
Now, I only want more because I can do more with it, help more. It's not about controlling people, it's about being able to stop or better resist others from controlling me and those I care about around me.
I am a high school drop-out with zero college and I am successful enough to be in the top 5%. Despite this I still face people that think I am ignorant despite how well I have won at life and against their rules compared to the other 95%.
This is what I have learned and what I thought was ignorant about the dilemma you said that the rich have.
I have no desire to use my wealth to "beat the shit" out of anyone standing in my way. I just want to beat the shit out of anyone abusing their power or regurgitating the status quo. Goto college, don't drop out, not conforming to society makes you a loser, you can't win, you think differently than me, well you must be a stupid person from that other political group I hate!
I desire liberty because no one helped me and I used all their bullshit rules against them while they thought they had me under their thumb. It damn sure pisses them off though!
"Now - what exactly about greed do I not understand? I think they want all they get their hands on and they do not want people to know how low they had to go."
The rich do not have an empty hole where their heart is... they have just allowed themselves to be disenfranchised by unreasonably standing against the poor they have also disenfranchised. It has warped them!
There has always been a class war, and it is usually waged from the top down, I know this, because I have lived on both sides. I still have to yank back on my privileged when I am temped to scoff at the less fortunate and it is not really even because I think I am better, I just say to myself, I used to be like that but I put a stop to it.
No matter how hard I worked and what I have discovered, they only think I am lucky and nothing else!
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Ok, but you do not speak for many others who apparently do.
"The rich do not have an empty hole where their heart is"
The vast majority disagrees with you.
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People often accept over simplified explanations that belie the truth of reality.
Why is it acceptable to accuse the rich have a hole in their hearts for wealthy but not acceptable to accuse the poor of having a hole in their heart for laziness?
Why do poor people automatically become nice to a rich or popular person when they are next to them without really knowing anything about them or having a reason to?
Why do people hurt others to gain in life?
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This was so predictable one could find odds in Vegas.
"People often accept over simplified explanations that belie the truth of reality."
Sorta like dark matter?
" not acceptable to accuse the poor of having a hole in their heart for laziness?"
Wait ... the poor are that way because they are lazy?
Wow - just when I was beginning to think you were not all bad.
"Why do poor people automatically become nice to a rich or popular person "
They do? All of them? I don't think so Tim.
"Why do people hurt others to gain in life?"
Good question. If you find the answer, please share.
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Predictable yes, but true as the day is long!
"Sorta like dark matter?"
Again with a bad analogy. Dark Matter is just a place holder name for an yet to be explained or observed phenomenon. Hardly a justifiable comparison for people accepting oversimplified explanations. I was speaking about people using oversimplification for things that are known quantities but they oversimplify intentionally to over paint a subject that truly has nuance, just as you are about to prove with this next quote...
"Wait ... the poor are that way because they are lazy?"
Some are yes, just like some Rich people have a hole in their heart, but I think it is safe to say this is NOT the norm. Take the fact that 70% of lottery winners are bankrupt. I think there is another problem afoot, but it is just easier to call the poor lazy as a stupid excuse and the rich evil as if the poor would not be the same in their position.
"They do? All of them? I don't think so Tim."
Using an exception to disprove a general rule is a sign of intellectual deficiency. If you need to be smacked around like this then you are going to hate a lot of people because they will not think much of your thought processing skills!
"Good question. If you find the answer, please share."
Everyone knows why people harm others to gain in life, you know it, I know it! It was a rhetoric question for that reason!
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Actually - if you think about it, there are multiple possible reasons from one end of the spectrum (murder, assault, etc) to the other end (stealing food to feed family).
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We harms others because we have reasoned with ourselves that we have justification to do so. We all have ego-centric reasons we have worked out to justify harming them in a pursuit to enrich ourselves.
This applies to all things. And yes, sometimes it is justified, because I don't know about you, I won't have a single problem with putting a "guilty" thief in jail to stop them from stealing any more things. This harms the thief while enriching society.
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Good, but why do you defend them here?
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The Inert Masses
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Re: The Inert Masses
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Why remove net neutrality before you have a replacement?
Well, Jonathan, at least put out facts for your opinion instead of that empty drivel. And even more, why remove net neutrality before you have a solution that unites? Is the current fragmented landscape better?
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Defiance and Rebellion
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What sort of protection do they mean?.
Protecting consumers from having any privacy?
Protecting them from any content not blessed by the ISP?
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Almost no need for Richard Bennett to show up...
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Hmmm...
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2) Respond to 1st reply with insult
3) Respond to 2nd reply with "you don't understand"
4) ???
5) rinse, repeat
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