What Obama's Net Neutrality Statement Means

[seancaptain]

President Obama came out in favor of net neutrality today. What's the legal basis, and does he have any power over it?

What Obama's Net Neutrality Statement Means : Read more

 

[nemasuwena]

Cable companies need to be regulated. They're working together to prevent having to provide better service or lower prices. The internet in the US is extremely slow and over priced.

My cable/internet costs me $150/month (from Time Warner). Contrast with my other expenses:

- Gym ($11/month from Planet Fitness)
- Mobile Phone ($21/month from TMobile)
- Car insurance ($25/month from Insurance Panda)
- Groceries ($90/month for me)

Yes, that’s correct, my gym, cellphone, car insurance, and food COMBINED cost less than my TWC bill.

My internet is slow and unreliable. At many points I’ve even though about going without it and relying on free coffee shop WIFI.

This is 2014, people!

 

[sgtwally]

Cable companies need to be regulated. They're working together to prevent having to provide better service or lower prices. The internet in the US is extremely slow and over priced.

My cable/internet costs me $150/month (from Time Warner). Contrast with my other expenses:

- Gym ($11/month from Planet Fitness)
- Mobile Phone ($21/month from TMobile)
- Car insurance ($25/month from Insurance Panda)
- Groceries ($90/month for me)

Yes, that’s correct, my gym, cellphone, car insurance, and food COMBINED cost less than my TWC bill.

My internet is slow and unreliable. At many points I’ve even though about going without it and relying on free coffee shop WIFI.

This is 2014, people!

Cable companies need to be regulated. They're working together to prevent having to provide better service or lower prices. The internet in the US is extremely slow and over priced.

My cable/internet costs me $150/month (from Time Warner). Contrast with my other expenses:

- Gym ($11/month from Planet Fitness)
- Mobile Phone ($21/month from TMobile)
- Car insurance ($25/month from Insurance Panda)
- Groceries ($90/month for me)

Yes, that’s correct, my gym, cellphone, car insurance, and food COMBINED cost less than my TWC bill.

My internet is slow and unreliable. At many points I’ve even though about going without it and relying on free coffee shop WIFI.

This is 2014, people!

What the hell do you eat?

 

[anbello262]

Cable companies need to be regulated. They're working together to prevent having to provide better service or lower prices. The internet in the US is extremely slow and over priced.

My cable/internet costs me $150/month (from Time Warner). Contrast with my other expenses:

- Gym ($11/month from Planet Fitness)
- Mobile Phone ($21/month from TMobile)
- Car insurance ($25/month from Insurance Panda)
- Groceries ($90/month for me)

Yes, that’s correct, my gym, cellphone, car insurance, and food COMBINED cost less than my TWC bill.

My internet is slow and unreliable. At many points I’ve even though about going without it and relying on free coffee shop WIFI.

This is 2014, people!

What's your internet speed?

 

[jjb8675309]

Disgusting all around. Another power grab from the feds.

 

[Zaranthos]

It's a free country. You don't have to pay for it and you can go without. You can also get satellite, DSL, or mobile broadband. If you're somewhere terrible with no real options you can move. Once the government, with all their good intentions and hidden agendas, starts to regulate things everyone will pay more. My cable company isn't the greatest but I get pretty good internet and their service gets faster over time. There is a lack of competition where I live which means I get fewer options and moderately higher prices for the service I get but I prefer that over more taxes and government driven price increases. I remember when the stimulus bills passed promising rural internet. Guess what, I still know a lot of people in rural areas who can't get anything but dial up or bad signal satellite internet. If you believe the government will solve all your problems you're a fool.

 

[ddpruitt]

What it really means:

Obama can't get anything passed so he's got nothing to lose by making a statement, but he can build momentum for the next presidential/congressional elections.

 

[shrapnel_indie]

Cable companies need to be regulated. They're working together to prevent having to provide better service or lower prices. The internet in the US is extremely slow and over priced.

My cable/internet costs me $150/month (from Time Warner). Contrast with my other expenses:

- Gym ($11/month from Planet Fitness)
- Mobile Phone ($21/month from TMobile)
- Car insurance ($25/month from Insurance Panda)
- Groceries ($90/month for me)

Yes, that’s correct, my gym, cellphone, car insurance, and food COMBINED cost less than my TWC bill.

My internet is slow and unreliable. At many points I’ve even though about going without it and relying on free coffee shop WIFI.

This is 2014, people!

Man, you must eat "like a bird" (as the saying goes.)

It's going to take more than regulating just the cable companies as it costs cable companies money for the rights to bring you certain channels, even local "over the air" channels can cost them some money. That would also have to be monitored and regulated somehow.

 

[alextheblue]

Once the government, with all their good intentions and hidden agendas, starts to regulate things everyone will pay more. My cable company isn't the greatest but I get pretty good internet and their service gets faster over time. There is a lack of competition where I live which means I get fewer options and moderately higher prices for the service I get but I prefer that over more taxes and government driven price increases. I remember when the stimulus bills passed promising rural internet. Guess what, I still know a lot of people in rural areas who can't get anything but dial up or bad signal satellite internet. If you believe the government will solve all your problems you're a fool.

Agreed. If they really wanted to do something to help, they would pressure local governments to open up cable competition. Areas that aren't locked in to one cable provider (local cable monopoly) have lower prices.

Net neutrality won't help people like nemasuwena. Your internet will STILL be expensive and slow, possibly even slower as they would then be unable to throttle streaming video traffic (by force of law) and the network could become further congested especially during peak hours. Again this is a state/local government issue. Open up cable competition and things will improve.

Some regions already have cable competition and prices are far lower in these areas.

 

[f-14]

OBAMA has appointed all 5 FCC chairpersons.this is the last area of government obama can control with out a democrat majority " lame duck session ". this campaign promise was intentionally designed and left for when democrats lost control. obama said he wouldn't appoint lobbyist as part of his campaign promise...and that turned out to be a grand lie also.

capitalism shouldn't be regulated other than to prevent monopolies, however any company using public property or eminent domain should face strict and extreme regulation that make it so EVERY american has use of the goods or services being provided whether they pay for them or not as public property and private property is being violated for profit. in both cases we have violations of monopolies and for profit use of public and private land that belongs to every one or certain people.

FCC Leadership
http/www.fcc.gov/leadership
The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for five-year terms, except when filling an unexpired term. The president designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairman. Only three commissioners may be members of the same political party, and none can have a financial interest in any commission-related business.

Tom Wheeler
Tom Wheeler| Chairman

Tom Wheeler was sworn in as the 31st Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on November 4, 2013. Chairman Wheeler was appointed by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.

Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Twitter | E-Mail | Blog

Mignon Clyburn
Mignon Clyburn | Commissioner

Mignon Clyburn served as Acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, following her appointment by President Barack Obama on May 20, 2013. She was nominated for her first term as Commissioner on June 25, 2009 and sworn-in on August 3, 2009. As Commissioner, she is serving a second term for which she was sworn in on February 19, 2013.

Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Twitter | E-Mail | Blog

Jessica Rosenworcel
Jessica Rosenworcel | Commissioner

Jessica Rosenworcel was nominated for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama and on May 7, 2012 was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. On May 11, 2012, she was sworn in.

Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Editorials | Twitter | Instagram | E-Mail

Ajit Pai
Ajit Pai | Commissioner

Ajit Pai was nominated to the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama and on May 7, 2012 was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. On May 14, 2012, he was sworn in for a term that concludes on June 30, 2016.

Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Editorials | Twitter | E-Mail

Michael O’Rielly
Michael O’Rielly | Commissioner

Michael O’Rielly was nominated for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama on August 1, 2013 and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on October 29, 2013. He was sworn into office on November 4, 2013.

 

[Dustin Pelc]

Wow I'm surprised there hasn't been any idiot on here defending Obama's Trans Pacific Partnership agenda yet! I agree the cable companies are the scum of the Earth, but putting the problem into the hands of someone trying to push an even crazier version of CISPA into legislation is NOT the answer!

 

[redgarl]

Funny people are complaining about 30$ High Speed internet... well, here the actual price in Atlantic Canada is around 60-70$ a month... and the ping is baaaaadddddd.

We have 2 companies that can rip you off... no other choices.

 

[Davil]

Yes of course ISP's throttle services, this has been known for ever. But there's a reason why. Bandwidth. People who are willing to pay more get more bandwidth and speed because they are willing to pay more. I pay about 120 a month to Comcast and I get something like 120mbs down and 10mbs up. Which I need because I like to stream video to things like twitch tv so having a high upload speed is essential. The network infrastructure out there isn't capable of giving everyone speeds that high, but for the few who want to pay for it and have a need for it great. Everyone else around me that gets the 5-30mbs down doesn't really complain because that's all they want.

 

[Christopher1]

Except that wireless is not a 'less mature service' today. It has been around for 30 years now in various forms, it is a mature service and it is time for it to go Title II.

 

[zettr]

It's a free country. You don't have to pay for it and you can go without. You can also get satellite, DSL, or mobile broadband. If you're somewhere terrible with no real options you can move. Once the government, with all their good intentions and hidden agendas, starts to regulate things everyone will pay more. My cable company isn't the greatest but I get pretty good internet and their service gets faster over time. There is a lack of competition where I live which means I get fewer options and moderately higher prices for the service I get but I prefer that over more taxes and government driven price increases. I remember when the stimulus bills passed promising rural internet. Guess what, I still know a lot of people in rural areas who can't get anything but dial up or bad signal satellite internet. If you believe the government will solve all your problems you're a fool.

 

[photonboy]

To me, I care mainly about my "Netflix stalling out" as that does happen.

Not sure why as my tests indicate my ISP can provide the necessary bandwidth even right after I have Netflix issues.

I guess that's what "throttling" means. It detects Netflix is running and lowers my bandwidth at peak usage times to the point I can't use it.

 

[zettr]

Here in KY atleast, that stimulus money that was supposed to provide rural broadband and wifi got blocked by lobbyists from telecommunications companies.

http/www.cbsnews.com/news/verizon-att-blocking-rural-broadband-stimulus/

Since it's a free country and I am free to move, tell me then, where can I move to that minority special-interests with deep pockets aren't free to undermine the will of the majority?

If you live in a representative democracy where government is always the problem yet continue to ignore that representation for minority groups can essentially be bought for their own "good intentions and hidden agendas," then I would say you are less than a fool. Will-fully ignorant tool perhaps?

 

[alidan]

@photonboy
no, it means that netflix didn't pay them enough and they are throttling netflix for a multi billion dollar check, they arent throttling you, they are throttling the service.

I pay for 70mbit down I should get 70mbit down regardless of what i am trying to access so long as its legal. here, lets look at time warner cable

Revenue
US$ 22.12 billion (2013)
Operating income
US$ 4.58 billion (2013)
Profit
US$ 1.954 billion (2013)
Total assets
US$ 48.273 billion (2013)
Total equity
US$ 6.947 billion (2013)

USE THAT MONEY YOU MAKE TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, STOP BUYING LOBBYISTS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO SIT ON YOU [2 expletive deleted] AND EXPLOIT THE MONOPOLIES YOU WERE ALL BUT GIVEN DUE TO CRONY CAPITALISM

how ANYONE can defend these companies is beyond me... unless they are paying you too.

 

[DRosencraft]

Here is what people tend to fail to realize about our government in the US. The president is not the most powerful. Individually yes, the president holds the largest microphone and commands the biggest audience. But that's about it. Congress holds all the power, because that's the way the Constitution set it up. The president can make statements, and nominate people to run this or that, but an act of Congress can undo or derail all of that so long as they can manage to get their act together enough to do anything. With a stroke of a pen the president can do almost anything, and with the stroke of another, Congress can undo it just as quickly.

So, while these comments certainly add to the chorus in favor of net neutrality, unfortunately because our electorate can't be bothered to pay attention enough to even vote, let alone vote based on anything other than vitriol or the words of firebrands, the party that now controls Congress will at the very least make it difficult to enact change, if not block it entirely. Best case scenario, the FCC goes ahead with plans to enact/enforce net neutrality and Congress can't muster enough to get anything passed to stop or block them.

 

[atavax]

For any 1080p video streaming on netflix, it requires less then 10mb/s to stream it flawlessly. You pay for 10 or 20 or 50mb/s download speeds and most of their audience likes to use Netflix. What does your cable company do? They provide a fraction of the speed they promise and refuse to upgrade their infrastructure and say Netflix has to pay them more to get your promised speed because they have so much of their business. Its like you paying FedEx for 1 day delivery from Amazon, and FedEx only using one of their trucks for Amazon deliveries, so the delivery you paid FedEx to do in 1 day ends up taking 2 weeks. Then Fedex demanding that for better deliveries its Amazon's job to pay for addition Fedex trucks. Comcast should be happy that Netflix is creating demand for their business. Instead they are demanding that Netflix pays for the upgraded infrastructure needed for Comcast to fullfill the demand Comcast's customers have for Netflix's product.