Are we moving toward an Ultranet? A possible clue is to be found in Google's public statement today on its discussion with the large U.S. telecom Verizon.
In it, Google and Verizon make clear their support for Net neutrality, meaning basic and equitable access for all, lots of transparency for consumers (except in the wireless field, which is moving rapidly and requires a little more secrecy, they feel), and a widening of broadband availability to communities.
But it also suggests that the broadband infrastructure needs to be a "platform for innovation," not necessarily on the same platform we now receive, for such areas as health services, new entertainment and gaming services, and a so-called "smart grid."
Google and Verizon indicate they want the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to keep close tabs on this "differentiated Internet" proposal. Still, it's the first indication (apart from a New York Times story last week, denied in part) that another layer of digital access and service might be pursued.
Comments
Steve Benjamins
08/11/2010 22:16
Hi Kirk, as a 23-year old Vancouverite, who hopes to start his own business one day, this policy proposal scares the hell out of me.
What’s awesome about the internet, from my “entrepreneurial” perspective, is that everyone is on an even playing field. The means of production and dissemination are just as much in my hands as they are in the Vancouver Sun’s. The Internet is an entrepreneur’s dream sandbox.
But if we begin aligning different layers of service to specific sectors of internet, I am wary that the sectors who can pay, will receive the better layers of service. For example, the Vancouver Sun probably has deeper pockets than mine and could probably pay for a different layer of service than I could.
Am I extrapolating too much from Google and Verizon’s policy proposal? I don’t think so. If this proposal is adopted, it set’s a very bad precedent for the an open, and neutral internet.
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