[governance] Net neutrality: Definitions

[Milton L Mueller]

Lee,

The term "net neutrality" has not been dumped by the courts. The courts told the FCC that they didn't have the regulatory authority to require it, because of one of their own decisions classifying internet as an information service rather than telecom service. 
That doesn't mean the term is meaningless or undesirable. On the contrary, it tells the FCC that it must either seek new legislation or reclassify broadband if it wants to regulate NN. 

Google hasn't dumped the _term_ either. It has tried to come up with a practical construction of it that allows network operators to exercise some control over bandwidth mgmt while not discriminating. 

I agree that it is not easy to translate the wonderful principle of NN into a specific regulatory regime without doing more harm than good. Indeed, IGP said so in its 2007 paper. 

Open internet doesn't advance the dialogue in any way I can see. It doesn't mean anything, as far as I can tell. But I am happy to receive a coherent definition. It will be interesting to see whether this definition, if subjected to the same "stress tests" as NN, provides a basis for reslving the regulatory disputes. 

--MM


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lee W McKnight [mailto:lmcknigh at syr.edu]
> Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 12:24 AM
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Ginger Paque; Parminder
> Subject: RE: [governance] Net neutrality: Definitions
> 
> let's add in the phrase 'open Internet' which actually means
> something...as opposed to the term dumped by US courts and now by its
> inventor, Google.
> ________________________________________
> From: Ginger Paque [gpaque at gmail.com]
> Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2010 3:28 PM
> To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Parminder
> Subject: Re: [governance] Net neutrality: Definitions
> 
> This discussion will be productive. Do we have any proposed definitions
> as starting points:
> 
> Internet:
> 
> Public Internet:
> 
> Internet as a public good:
> 
> Net Neutrality:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/14/2010 3:28 AM, parminder wrote:
> 
> When the issues of managed services and a tiered interent are so
> current, it is useful to look at possible definitions of what
> constitutes a public Internet, or well what constitutes an Internet.
> (Google has used the term non-Internet services for managed services).
> Obviously, it is important to know what is Internet before we pursue
> IG.
> 
> Is it possible to work on some of these issues in the IGC?
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>      governance at lists.cpsr.org
> To be removed from the list, send any message to:
>      governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org
> 
> For all list information and functions, see:
>      http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
> 
> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t