[governance] Free Internet (was RE: who does "public policy" then?)

[McTim]

On 4/15/07, Parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
<snip>
>
> First of all, it should be evident that I am not asking for free downloads
> of Hollywood movies on the Internet. I am asking for free access to basic
> information/ knowledge and services on the Internet, and the access to
> Internet itself.

It appears that the giant US telco's want something very much like
this as well (two-tiered pricing).  This violates net neutrality, no?
Also a violation of e2e principle?


You would have heard of free stuff on all aspects of what
> constitutes Internet - connectivity (Muni Wifi in US, as also google's free
> internet)

not free for Google, is it!

, software (loads of free software on the Internet)


not free 4 the developers, who either don't mind working as
volunteers, or who have a biz model that doesn't require payment from
end-users.

and content
> (wikipedia, and numerous other free content). So, what's the big deal?

How do you pay for all the infra of ISPs, if you give svcs away for
free?  Who pays for my routers/servers/radio/modems?  I, as an African
ICT4D guy would love to blanket my part of the world with a free
wireless Internet for everybody.

As an ISP staffer, I would need to be able to figure out how it pays the bills!!

>
> The accent on 'free' is vis a vis the growing propertization of all aspects
> of the digital space... So stressing the 'free' part is only vis a vis
> complete and default propertization. No one is calling for everything
> whatsoever to be given out free.

If you give out basic svcs for free, very few will pay for premium
svcs.  I don't think I would (as a consumer)

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
$ whois -h whois.afrinic.net mctim
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