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Wait, doesn't calling the Internet a utility mean all data will be metered by the MB from now on? Or does that not apply here? If it does, wouldn't that give ca

Wait, doesn't calling the Internet a utility mean all data will be metered by the MB from now on? Or does that not apply here? If it does, wouldn't that give carriers exactly what they wanted - the ability to charge video providers much more than they would say a news website? The idea behind the whole net neutrality movement was to have "all you can eat plans" where all data is treated the same. What if now we get the "all data is treated the same" part, but not the "all you can eat" one? Another issue: government spying. I know the ISP's/carriers have given the government virtually everything they've asked for, including direct access to the cables for the plain-text data + the recent cookie tracking inserted into people's traffic, but some of them have refused to do much of it, like Sonic, and I think Google takes a similar approach, fighting for users' rights, even if Verizon and AT&T do not. So what does it mean now that the government classifies all Internet under Title 2. What can we expect in terms of surveillance? And does it make it much easier to force all ISP's to comply with certain surveillance requests?

wmf 12y ago
Phone calls aren't required to be metered and neither will be the Internet. But yes, metering is generally considered to be neutral, although not necessarily a good idea. CALEA has existed for years and I haven't heard that Title II legalizes dragnet surveillance.
Amezarak 12y ago
> Wait, doesn't calling the Internet a utility mean all data will be metered by the MB from now on? Or does that not apply here? No, it does not mean metered Internet, which is already increasingly common in the US - though usually in the form of x GB for $y, with $z/GB overages. This has actually become incredibly common. There isn't a single ISP in my state that doesn't have data caps with metered Internet thereafter, or, in the case of my ISP, mandatory upgrades (though even then, the most expensive plan has a cap of 1TB.) > So what does it mean now that the government classifies all Internet under Title 2. What can we expect in terms of surveillance? Nothing changes.
Eric_WVGG 12y ago
I think it helps to consider it a utility in the same way that the US system of roads and highways is “a utility” (information superhighway, you hoary old chestnut)

wmf 12y ago

Phone calls aren't required to be metered and neither will be the Internet. But yes, metering is generally considered to be neutral, although not necessarily a good idea. CALEA has existed for years and I haven't heard that Title II legalizes dragnet surveillance.

Amezarak 12y ago

> Wait, doesn't calling the Internet a utility mean all data will be metered by the MB from now on? Or does that not apply here? No, it does not mean metered Internet, which is already increasingly common in the US - though usually in the form of x GB for $y, with $z/GB overages. This has actually become incredibly common. There isn't a single ISP in my state that doesn't have data caps with metered Internet thereafter, or, in the case of my ISP, mandatory upgrades (though even then, the most expensive plan has a cap of 1TB.) > So what does it mean now that the government classifies all Internet under Title 2. What can we expect in terms of surveillance? Nothing changes.

Eric_WVGG 12y ago

I think it helps to consider it a utility in the same way that the US system of roads and highways is “a utility” (information superhighway, you hoary old chestnut)