FCC Boss Celebrates As Net Neutrality Gets An End Date: June 11

from the Comcastic dept

Thu, May 10th 2018 12:01pm — Karl Bode

Nearly six months after the Trump FCC voted to kill net neutrality protections, we finally have an official date for the formal elimination of the rules. According to an FCC announcement, (pdf) the FCC's comically and misleadingly-named "Restoring Internet Freedom" order will formally take effect on June 11, eliminating rules that have the bipartisan support of a huge majority of Americans (not to mention many of the people that built the damn internet).

In a statement patting himself on the back for a job well done, FCC boss Ajit Pai simply doubles down on all of the routinely-debunked falsehoods his agency has used to justify the repeal up to this point, including the claim that killing consumer protections and pandering to Comcast somehow lowers prices and protects "free expression":

"On June 11, we will have a framework in place that encourages innovation and investment in our nation’s networks so that all Americans, no matter where they live, can have access to better, cheaper, and faster Internet access and the jobs, opportunities, and platform for free expression that it provides."

Of course if you've been following the net neutrality fight this claim is laughable. Giving telecom monopolies operating in a broken market unchecked authority to abuse a lack of competition will raise rates and stifle free expression in a myriad of ways. From bogus usage caps and zero rating to interconnection shenanigans (where ISPs use their power to drive up costs for transit and content competitors), these costs and unfair restrictions, sooner or later, will be dropped in the lap of consumers, startups and smaller competitors across the entire internet ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Pai also tries to double down on the claim that next-generation networks are only made possible by gutting oversight of some of the least-liked and least-competitive companies in America. He also tries to float the idea that "special interests" (not an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of Americans) are to blame for the massive backlash to his repeal:

"And we will embrace a modern, forward-looking approach that will help the United States lead the world in 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity. For months, many politicians and special interests have tried to mislead the American people about the Restoring Internet Freedom Order. Now everyone will be able to see the truth for themselves."

Yes, yes we will.

Unfortunately, starting in late June, ISPs, the Pai FCC, and the industry's dollar-per-hollar consultants are going to try to argue that because the Earth didn't immediately shatter into a million pieces on June 12 it must mean that the net neutrality rules weren't important. But anybody expecting ISPs like Comcast to immediately begin behaving badly in the wake of the repeal doesn't understand how this is going to work.

While there's certain to be some providers that just can't help themselves, most large ISPs are going to try and be on their best behavior for a while, even after the rules are repealed.

Why? They're wisely concerned that the FCC may lose in court, thanks to all of the procedural missteps, half truths and flimsy data belched forth from Pai's office during the repeal. ISPs are also worried about the fact that more than half the states in the nation are now pursuing their own net neutrality rules (something they maybe should have considered before rushing to kill modest federal rules).

Of course there's also the looming threat of a future less cash-compromised Congress or FCC coming in and just re-instating the rules during future administrations. There's also an ongoing effort to reverse the FCC repeal via the Congressional Review Act.

This is why ISPs have been advocating (so far unsuccessfully) for a bogus net neutrality law in Congress.

Pushed by Marsha Blackburn in the House and John Kennedy in the Senate, these bills are being promoted as a "solution" to the longstanding net neutrality debate. But their real intention is far more nefarious: to pass a flimsy, loophole-ridden law designed specifically to pre-empt tougher federal or state laws (and block the FCC from restoring the 2015 rules should they lose in court). In short: they want to make a lack of net neutrality permanent via legislation that...pretends to protect net neutrality (AT&T, Verizon and Comcast lobbyists are nothing if not clever).

As ISP lobbyists nervously try to prevent a return to real net neutrality rules, ISPs will try to be on their best behavior for a while to try to suggest all of the concerns about the repeal were breathless hyperbole. But it's important to understand, killing net neutrality is just one part of a much broader plan that involves effectively gutting nearly all FTC and FCC oversight of the broken telecom sector. Should that come to pass (and they're having a hell of a lot of success at the moment), the end result is not going to be subtle.

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

Filed Under: ajit pai, broadband, competition, fcc, innovation 5g, investment, net neutrality

66 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

That One Guy (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 11:57am

There's been lies all right...
For months, many politicians and special interests have tried to mislead the American people about the Restoring Internet Freedom Order.

Well, he's half right, it's just the half that he's wrong/lying about is what side he and his buddies in the telecom industry are on in that claim.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ryunosuke (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 12:14pm

nearly all? They don't want ANY oversight. And that is dangerous.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ECA (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 12:34pm

I cant say anything...
There just isnt enough time or space to print IDIOTS, all over this page....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Vel the Enigmatic, 10 May 2018 @ 12:48pm

You guys haven't heard?
About the Senate and Net Neutrality today in Reuters?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 12:52pm

"On June 11, we will have a framework in place that encourages innovation and investment in our nation’s networks so that all Americans, no matter where they live, can have access to better, cheaper, and faster Internet access and the jobs, opportunities, and platform for free expression that it provides."

What is this guy smoking?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 1:13pm

Re:
$100 bills from lobbyists.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Chip, 10 May 2018 @ 2:08pm

This as all bgecause Regulations! If there were no "Regulations", the "FCC" wouldn't be able to "remove" the Regulations, and then there Wouldn't be ANY problem!

It's so Obvious! Why isit so Obvious to Me and not to all you Sycophantic IDIOTS here on "Techdirt"! I think it is because only I eat Delicious, Delicious "apint Chips"! They are "Banned" by government "Regulations" because they contain "Lead"! Typical Government Regulatory Overreach! The "Free Market" should DEIDE whether people will Buy Leaded "paint"! and also eat it.

Every Nation eats the Paint chips it Deserves!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 3:15pm

The Karl Bode Drinking Game
It didn't take long to find the first lie in this post; read the second sentence: "According to an FCC announcement, (pdf) the FCC's comically-misleading-named "Restoring Internet Freedom" order will formally take effect on June 11, eliminating rules that have the bipartisan support of a huge majority of Americans (not to mention many of the people that built the damn internet)."

Of course, the vast majority of Americans have no idea what Title II is, let alone which portions were foreborne and which were embellished in the Obama Title II Internet regulation.

How can you claim people support a totally mysterious concept? Bode can.

Third sentence continues the trend, claiming Pai's claims about the perils of Title II are "routinely-debunked falsehoods" when they're all supported by fact and analysis? They've certainly been disputed by partisans of Bode's ilk, but that's a far stretch from "routinely debunked."

The RIFO framework promotes innovation in real-time service delivery, something that makes Bode's head hurt, so he simply pretends "this claim is laughable" without saying why.

Karl Bode is the King of Fake News and Techdirt is his castle.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 3:49pm

"all Americans, no matter where they live, can have access to better, cheaper, and faster Internet access and the jobs, opportunities"

Everyone should be calling up their providers and asking for a few things.

1) Internet anywhere in the USA including ANWR. (I think there are six or seven families still living there)
2) No throttling, latency, fast lanes, slow lanes etc. (better)
3) Discounts on my services. Start with $64.99 discount. (cheaper)
4) Faster downloads and Uploads too. 1G symmetrical. (Faster)
5) A better job than I have now. President / CEO would be fine. (jobs, opportunities)

ISP's should get right on that June 12
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 4:12pm

I sincerely hope that this backfires on the large ISP's, especially in larger markets where there is potential but not actual competition at this point. It won't take long before user ratings or comparative internet sites that measure speeds pop up for consumers to use. If that happens and if people are aware enough to use this data (and those are big 'if's), then perhaps some startup ISP's can death-by-a-thousand-cuts some of these goliaths.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 4:13pm

Re:
In other words, you demand free cable. That's the American Dream, isn't it?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 4:14pm

How strange Congress is supposedly voting on whether to stop the repeal of net neutrality on 12th June. Just in time to be too late, meaning the likes of AT&T etc will have what they want, making it almost impossible to pry from their grubby little mits! The people get screwed again!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 4:29pm

Re:
This a stupid comment, and I'd like to tell you why. The speed at which web sites load has nothing to do with ISPs as long as customers are getting 15 Mbps download speed or more. You can check the FCC's Measuring Broadband America reports from 2010 to the present to verify this. Over this period, broadband speeds have increased 35% per year while web page load times have been stagnant. In 2016, web pages actually loaded more slowly than they did in 2015.

Why do you believe ISPs are throttling web pages? Web pages are bloated with ads and impaired by the slow-start that degrades the performance of each new TCP connection. And the average web page opens dozens of TCP connections.

Maybe think before you complain? It's a thought.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 5:09pm

Re: You guys haven't heard?
Bottom of the page, 'Submit a story' if you run across something that you think TD might be interested in covering.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 5:10pm

Re: Re:
As I've noted before, why would they feel the need to buy someone they already own?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Toom1275 (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 6:01pm

Re:
Congress set its date first.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Uriel-238 (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 6:03pm

The American Dream
Since we haven't gotten any of our previous American Dreams (e.g. An honest day's work for an honest day's pay) then maybe we could make up our own.

Since the US is giving up on the space program, is ignoring climate change and global warming and the EU has the LHC, I say we not only provide internet nationwide, but free high-speed WiFi to the entire planet.

If we weren't beholden to a tiny number of very very very rich people we could actually do it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 6:21pm

Re: Re:
Funny thing about thinking you're an expert when you can't even realize he didn't mention "the speed at which web sites load."
[ link to this | view in thread ]
E., 10 May 2018 @ 6:42pm

"On June 11, we will have a framework in place that encourages innovation and investment in our nation’s networks so that all Americans, no matter where they live, can have access to better, cheaper, and faster Internet access and the jobs, opportunities, and platform for free expression that it provides."

---------

@the FCC... sure Jan. After people get rich and are able to afford it, you mean? Shame on you all for taking away REAL free and fair internet from all. People know your game and don't buy into your LIES.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 7:02pm

Re:
This coming from the cunt who claimed that disproving Bode was beneath him without saying why...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 7:11pm

Re: Re:
You might have had a point if you hadn't trawled other sites pissing and moaning about how you couldn't give two shits about legitimate gamers and their update patch downloads.

Wonderful, now your ISPs get to deal with up to 50 different flavors of regulation. Stroke that Pai-flavored erection while you can, Dick. Have fun poking that hornet's nest!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 7:56pm

Re: Re: Re:
Sorry, TechDirt censored my comment.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 7:57pm

Re: Re: Re:
Homophobic much, Coward?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 8:05pm

Re: The American Dream
You're not going to get your wish.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 10 May 2018 @ 8:07pm

Re: Re: Re:
Did this - "The speed at which web sites load has nothing to do with ISPs as long as customers are getting 15 Mbps download speed or more" - upset you?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 8:27pm

Re: The Richard Bennett Drinking Game
Rules: Every time Richard twists words or tells a lie, take a drink.

It didn't take long to find the first lie in this post; read the second sentence: Of course, the vast majority of Americans have no idea what Title II is, let alone which portions were foreborne and which were embellished in the Obama Title II Internet regulation. How can you claim people support a totally mysterious concept? Bode can.

You didn't actually state what part wasn't true, just suggested that people can't support something they don't understand. Hate to break it to you Richard but people support things they don't understand ALL the time. That's kind of a fact of life. People support the flat earth theory who obviously know nothing about how impossible that is. First drink!

Third sentence continues the trend, claiming Pai's claims about the perils of Title II are "routinely-debunked falsehoods" when they're all supported by fact and analysis? They've certainly been disputed by partisans of Bode's ilk, but that's a far stretch from "routinely debunked."

Well actually, almost every major co-inventor of the internet, the fact that how the internet ACTUALLY works directly contradicts Pai's delusional idea of how it works, everyone who actually works in IT, most major media outlets, the FCC's OWN DATA, Akamai reports, I could go on and on.... all have routinely debunked Pai's claims. That enough for you? Second drink!

The RIFO framework promotes innovation in real-time service delivery, something that makes Bode's head hurt, so he simply pretends "this claim is laughable" without saying why.

It does no such thing and Bode and many others have explained, IN DETAIL, why it doesn't. You can't refute it so you just attack it. Third drink!

Karl Bode is the King of Fake News and Techdirt is his castle.

Actually, you and Pai are competing for that title. How many times now have I caught you in a direct, blatant lies and as soon as I provide incontrovertible proof of it, you just go silent? In fact, my entire comment so far has been pointing out your lies, this just adds one more to the pile. Fourth drink!

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 8:31pm

Richard Bennett drinking game round 2
Keep on twisting people's words.

Only one of those list items has anything to do with the cost of cable internet, number 3, a $64.99 discount. Considering that people routinely pay more than that for basic internet (DSL, cable, or fiber), he is in no way suggesting he get 'free cable'. Fifth drink!

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 8:32pm

Re: Re: The American Dream
I see I can add sarcasm along with the internet to the list of things you don't understand and that go completely over your head.

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 8:47pm

Richard Bennett drinking game round 3

This a stupid comment, and I'd like to tell you why.

Funny, I was going to say the same about yours.

The speed at which web sites load has nothing to do with ISPs as long as customers are getting 15 Mbps download speed or more.

Hey, an actual, relatively, true fact for once. Provided you ignore the fact that under the RIFO rules, ISPs can slow down any website they choose to their hearts' content. I'll give it to you on being technically true.

Why do you believe ISPs are throttling web pages?

Where did he say that? Nowhere. When he was talking about speeds, he was talking about overall internet bandwidth a customer has access to from their ISP. Contrary to your belief, total bandwidth speed does matter.

Website loading time is a pretty small fraction of all internet traffic. There's many other things that greatly benefit from fast speeds, like, I don't know, OS updates, streaming video, streaming audio, any kind of download at all (unless you want to go back to waiting days for whatever it is to download), game updates, VPN connections, VoIP, video calling, etc...the list goes on.

You know what this means...Sixth drink!

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 8:52pm

Richard Bennett drinking game round 4
No, but it's completely irrelevant since there are many OTHER applications of the internet that make up a large volume of internet traffic that DO benefit from more than 15 Mbps download speed.

Seventh drink!

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 9:40pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
I'm curious. If Pai was a lady would you call the previous poster heterophobic? Or what if you had both sorts of genitals, would he be transphobic?

Maybe if you weren't surgically grafted to Pai's AT&T-funded phallus, you wouldn't have people pointing it out. But whatever makes you feel good, just don't count on others to agree.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 May 2018 @ 11:45pm

This Richard Bennett guy is a hoot!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 4:31am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
No, we the people did.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
David, 11 May 2018 @ 4:38am

Or is your name ... Rumpelstiltskin?
I mean, what's with the dancing around the fire and chanting about dismantling consumer protections act? And all that yarn he is spinning into gold?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 7:57am

Re: Re:
How do those items equate to free?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 7:58am

Re:
The FCC will probably make such reporting illegal - you know because they are so enthusiastic about making everything better.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 8:00am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
"The speed at which web sites load has nothing to do with ISPs as long as customers are getting 15 Mbps download speed or more"

Really? You think this is true?
Just a dumb pipe when they want to be :)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 8:33am

Re: Richard Bennett drinking game round 3
Look. Richard likes to use his internet to visit GeoCities/AOL websites and check his email before heading outside to yell at kids to get off his lawn. Don't bother him with those new fangled things like MMORPGs, patching/updates, streaming anything, or Steam.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 11 May 2018 @ 10:52am

Karl Bode's comments
It's sad that Karl refuses to put his real name on the comments he posts to his gossipy articles.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 11:13am

Re: Karl Bode's comments
Like that would change everything
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 11 May 2018 @ 11:20am

Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
It would be more fun.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 11 May 2018 @ 11:35am

Karls, karls everywhere...
What's even sadder is the paranoia you're apparently suffering that has you thinking that the person responding to you simply must be Karl, rather than someone who just enjoys poking at you.

Unless of course you have actual evidence for your claims...?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 11:39am

Re: Karl Bode's comments
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

You think I'm Karl Bode? HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious! You tried for an epic insult and ended up with an epic fail! HA!

Try again Richard!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 11:47am

Re: Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
Oh trust me, it would definitely be less fun if I was actually Karl.

But thanks for laugh. Honestly, I couldn't have hoped for anything better than you thinking I'm Karl. Wow, talk about an epic face plant/egg on face.

All my debates with you were worth it, just for this.

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 11 May 2018 @ 11:55am

Re: Karls, karls everywhere...
I figure a comment that consists entirely of verbatim replays of Karl's delusions was effectively written by Karl. This is true even if a non-Karl sock puppet is in the middle.

Karl's posts are amusing because they consist entirely of gossip - he said this, they said that, this other person said this other thing - so they're all dirt and no tech.

I feel sad for him.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 11 May 2018 @ 12:18pm

Re: Re: Karls, karls everywhere...
So no evidence, just doubling-down on delusions. Yeah, that's about what I expected.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 12:44pm

Richard Bennett drinking game round 5

I figure a comment that consists entirely of verbatim replays of Karl's delusions

Show me one. Remember, verbatim means exactly word for word.

Karl's posts are amusing because they consist entirely of gossip

So, what, all the links he puts in his article back to primary sources are what? Hallucinations?

Eighth drink!

Or are you talking about my comments that you claim were written by Bode? Because I've provided you plenty of links in the past, and you usually go silent right after they show you to be a liar. Now granted I haven't provided any in this article comments section but if you really want to go down that rabbit hole I am MORE than happy to deluge you with all the primary source links you can shake a stick at. And I guarantee they will NOT be of the he said/they said variety, but they will likely make a fool out of you, again.

Ninth drink.

he said this, they said that, this other person said this other thing

So you're upset that people speak and have conversations?

so they're all dirt and no tech

And net neutrality and ATT have nothing to do with tech at all?

I feel sad for him.

That's nice.

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 5:45pm

Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
Thinking every anonymous poster is your greatest nemesis? Now where have I seen that before?

Shit, you guys. Richard Bennett was MyNameHere all along!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 11 May 2018 @ 6:06pm

Re: Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
Let's put it this way: if you're posting comments that look like they were written by Bode and you're not Bode...you're a sad little sycophant*.

*sycophant: a servile** self-seeking flatterer

**servile: of or befitting a slave or a menial position
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 7:26pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
Name calling isn't going to change the fact that you have no facts to back up your claims and Bode does. It just makes you look like a sore loser. Which, I guess, is true given your comments.

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2018 @ 11:47pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
It gets funnier when you realize how introspective he's being. Which, in turn, is immensely ironic.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 5:27am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Karl Bode's comments
Your rebuttals remind me of barbs traded by kindergartners on the playground. "No, you!"

Any passer-by could easily debunk that rubbish if this is the best you can come up with.

Small wonder you had to rely on bots to drum up support for the repeal.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 12 May 2018 @ 11:39am

Bode's Law
So here's the deal in a nutshell. I maintain that every post written by Karl Bode contains at least one sentence that's a total lie. So I created the Karl Bode Drinking Game to celebrate this fact. When reading a Karl Bode post, you take a drink every time you you find a lie.

This sport was inspired by Bode's claim that Comcast speed upgrades are only available to customers who buy bundles. This claim is easily disproved by checking the Xfinity web site for plans available in Houston. Other bloggers who, like Bode, are fanatic in their support for a highly regulated ISP business have not made the claim that Bode has made about Comcast; Jon Brodkin, for example.

In this post, Bode claims that Tom Wheeler's Title II order has "the bipartisan support of a huge majority of Americans (not to mention many of the people that built the damn internet)."

Of course, the vast majority of Americans have no opinion about the Title II Internet service classification or any idea what it means. Polling indicates that no more than 28% of voters support rolling back RIFO in favor of Title II. And half of them believe Title II applies to the social media and advertising interests that fund this site.

From a poll by AAN:

Almost half of voters across the country, forty-six percent (46%) indicate that they believe that the rules of net neutrality apply to both internet service providers and internet companies alike. Only two in ten voters, twenty-one percent (21%) are aware that net neutrality rules only apply to internet service providers. Among those who say they are familiar with net neutrality, sixty percent (60%) believe the rules apply to all companies.

There's another funny little thing about the proposed CRA: it will only have a legal effect on the enhanced transparency rule included in RIFO. The Title I reclassifiation can't be reversed by a CRA resolution.

If you got your news from reliable sources rather than a troll blog funded by Internet-based companies and following Bode's Law you might know these things. But you don't because you've been scammed.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 12:19pm

Re: Bode's Law

This sport was inspired by Bode's claim that Comcast speed upgrades are only available to customers who buy bundles.

From the Comcast's own press release

"Speed increases will vary based on the Xfinity Internet customers' current speed subscriptions. Those receiving the speed boost will benefit from an increase of 30 to 40 percent in their download speeds. Existing Xfinity Internet and X1 video customers subscribing to certain packages can expect to experience enhanced speeds this month."

And that looks like bundling to me. If that is not what the intended, they should get a better press officer·
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Richard Bennett (profile), 12 May 2018 @ 12:38pm

Re: Re: Bode's Law
[In case you haven't figured it out by now, I don't engage with anonymous commenters.]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Uriel-238 (profile), 12 May 2018 @ 1:58pm

"I don't engage with anonymous commenters"
Maybe consider trying that tact with the rest of the commenters as well.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 2:07pm

Re: Re: Re: Bode's Law
All anybody has to do to see that you are lying is scroll through the comments on this article, where you engage with several anonymous cowards.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 5:32pm

Re: "I don't engage with anonymous commenters"
There's also his strange obsession over his reality that no one cares about Title II, therefore it made sense to repeal it. But if the premise is that no one cares, why would anyone care if it didn't exist? And if there was so much support for a repeal you would think that Pai wouldn't need to rely on support votes generated by robots masquerading as people who didn't agree with him.

Also Richard thinks that all anonymous posters who disagree with him are all Bode. He'll engage. He can't help it. Look at the other articles where he rants about Google.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Anonymous Coward That Richard Claims He Won't , 12 May 2018 @ 6:17pm

Richard's Lies
So here's the deal in a nutshell. I maintain that every comment written by Richard Bennett contains at least one sentence that's a total lie. So I created the Richard Bennett Drinking Game to celebrate this fact. When reading a Richard Bennett comment, you take a drink every time you find a lie.

This sport was inspired by Richard's claim that free Comcast speed upgrades are available to customers who just buy internet and not bundles. This claim is easily disproved by checking the press release direct from Comcast. (first drink!) Other bloggers who, like Bode, logically and reasonably support net neutrality have ALSO made the claim that Bode has made about Comcast; Jon Brodkin, for example. You can read Jon Brodkin's same claim that Bode makes over at Ars Technica. Link provided: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/comcast-wont-give-new-speed-boost-to-internet -users-who-dont-buy-tv-service/ (second drink)

In this TD post, Bode claims that Tom Wheeler's Title II order has "the bipartisan support of a huge majority of Americans (not to mention many of the people that built the damn internet)."

Of course, the vast majority of Americans do have an opinion about the Title II Internet service classification and at least a basic idea of what it means. Polling indicates that more than 80% of voters supported rolling back RIFO in favor of Title II. And three quarters of them found arguments by consumer groups and tech companies (like social media and advertising interests that occasionally donate to this site) much more convincing than arguments from ISPs that were in favor of repealing Title II. (third drink!)

From a poll by UoMPfPC:

Finally, respondents were asked to give their final recommendation on the proposal to repeal the existing restrictions on ISPs. Overall, only 16% favored the idea, with 83% opposed. Among Republicans, 21% were in favor 75% opposed. Eleven percent of Democrats favored the idea, with 89% opposed. Independents were in between, with 14% in favor and 86% opposed.

(fourth drink!)

There's another funny little thing about the proposed CRA: it will have a legal effect on the entirety of the RIFO. The Title I reclassifiation can absolutely be reversed by a CRA resolution. (fifth drink!)

If you get your news from reliable sources rather than a forum troll funded by ISP companies who has to constantly lie to support his claims, you probably already know all this. But I post this anyway for the benefit of our new readers so they too can get ludicrously drunk while enjoying a good laugh at TD's worst resident troll.

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 6:19pm

Re: Richard's Lies
Aw, it cut off my username. Didn't know there was a character limit.

Well for those interested it's supposed to be:

The Anonymous Coward That Richard Claims He Won't Engage With But Has On Numerous Occasions
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 6:21pm

Re: Re: Re: Bode's Law
Must be a new policy for you then since you've had some pretty long back and forth debates with me in the past.

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 6:22pm

Richard Bennett Drinking Game
Also by posting this in reply to the above AC, you in effect engaged with him. So yeah. Sixth Drink!

Try again Richard.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2018 @ 9:59pm

Re: Richard's Lies
Eh, I wouldn't go so far as to call Richard the worst troll. He's a transparent liar and a poor one at that, but compared to average_joe and out_of_the_blue he's not as obsessively unhinged. And he's miles away more literate than the likes of darryl and Technopolitical.

At least for the moment, anyway. His recent rants against Bode of late are starting to make "your mom" rebuttals look like Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 May 2018 @ 4:32am

Re: Re: Richard's Lies
True. But what I meant by worst is that his trolling efforts are a complete and total ignominious failure. I didn't mean that he is the the village scourge, more like the bumbling village idiot.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 13 May 2018 @ 6:56am

Re: Re: Richard's Lies

Eh, I wouldn't go so far as to call Richard the worst troll.

Considering he is officially advising the government on net neutrality, he is far worse than a troll.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 16 May 2018 @ 8:56pm

Re: Re: Re: Richard's Lies
That is actually a good point.
[ link to this | view in thread ]