What a bullshit diatribe Bob !
This move is perfectly aligned with the disastrous move to end net neutrality. With Disney's new power, they can buy or simply force ISP providers into streaming their content at acceptable speeds.
Look for more consolidation within the media content and distribution in the weeks to come.
There has been a ton of consolidation in recent years even after "net neutrality" was put in place. Marvel, Star Wars, Directv, Comcast etc. The justice department is suing against AT&T/TWX (thankfully)
Net neutrality is the biggest canard out there anyways. Why we want to fit the internet into 80-year old regulation is beyond me. The difference is only that people have bad perceptions about Time Warner or AT&T vs Google and Facebook which are easily quasi-monopolies. And ironically net neutrality just keeps barriers to entry high for new ISPs which is what we need more of for wireless broadband, 5G, etc.
You've bought the "net neutrality stops ISP innovation" argument? Absolutely ridiculous. ISP is a capital intensive business, even wireless sights have to be purchased or leased, and is not a business that will ever be a lure for innovation. The multi-billion dollar ISP companies were subsidized to the tune of $400B by the American tax payer to lay DSP and Fiber networks, it's only logical to insure that the information that flows over these networks flow freely. The original rule was in response to Verizon throttling back Netflix with an aim to promote their own lackluster on demand services.
I'm surprised how little is understood about net neutrality.
No Jeff, I've bought the "why are we regulating this in the first place argument" and remember the telephone industry in the 70s and 80s which overall decreased investment and took forever to roll out call waiting and the like because of these kinds of regulations. it's not "freely" under net neutrality - its subsidizing huge users who can determine how we view data. and there is no harm that has been established from 20 years without net neutrality. aren't ISPs supposed to be on equal footing with Netflix? We consumers crave content unbundling now, but all of sudden fear internet bundling? Why am I supporting huge YouTube (or YouPorn haha) users while I'm using email and light internet only?
there will be a time soon when you probably won't need hard wired broadband - and the govt certainly can't plan for technology advances. in fact, my small ISP (Belair Internet) now brags about always giving people equal bandwidth - which would be in direct competition with one of the big ones if they were to do the opposite.
finally, people also don't understand how local governments/utilities impede ISP growth. we've see multiple bond issues in this department and most of them are failures.
You've confused the net neutrality issue with net usage, or you've bought into the spin that the ISP are spewing. It's not your fault, they've spent millions spewing this. Forget about the usage issue, focus on the content issue. Government subsidized ISP are the only method of viewing the internet to millions in rural areas, new ISP's will never spend money bringing the internet to them. These government subsidized quasi monopolies can now throttle back competitive content providers to push their inferior products.
We the people have paid for 95% of the internet in the USA, we should determine how its used. Also, several of these ISP's are owned by Christian Evangelicals. Watch them throttle back or turn off YouPorn or NPR.
then you should know that rural ISPs hate net neutrality and have more trouble competing since 2015 (btw, I have analyzed distressed city-owned ISP deals). and saying they "can" do this isn't the same as them actually doing this and net neutrality fans have scared the public into believing so. you are simply preferring other quasi monopolies while I prefer having them on equal ground. said another way, i want "fast lanes" and don't deem them harmful. putting everybody on "equal footing" is a disaster for regulation and has proven to be the case with the TelCos.
and adding Christian politics is unnecessary bro.
You brought up YouPorn, so bringing up Evangelical politics is totally necessary. A large part of the motivation of the Christian Republican Party's obsession with repealing Obama care is the requirement of business to offer birth control.
YP is the largest interneUnderstand that Christian theology is at the center of most of the Republican programs, deregulation and judicial appointments.
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