Dev.SN ♥ developers
Sections
Dev.SN
from the hopefully-not-paying-lip-service dept.
Fluffeh writes:
"When the D.C. U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the FCC's Open Internet Rules, a White House Petition was put up to 'direct the FCC to classify ISPs as "common carriers"'. With over 100k signatures, there is now an official response.
Absent net neutrality, the Internet could turn into a high-priced private toll road that would be inaccessible to the next generation of visionaries. The resulting decline in the development of advanced online apps and services would dampen demand for broadband and ultimately discourage investment in broadband infrastructure. An open Internet removes barriers to investment worldwide.
The petition asked that the President direct the FCC to reclassify Internet service providers as "common carriers" which, if upheld, would give the FCC a distinct set of regulatory tools to promote net neutrality. The FCC is an independent agency. Chairman Wheeler has publicly pledged to use the full authority granted by Congress to maintain a robust, free and open Internet a principle that this White House vigorously supports."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by SpallsHurgenson on Wednesday February 19 2014, @10:21AM
Even more to the point, President Obama was the one who appointed the current FCC chief. He pushed Tom Wheeler into his current position, after he worked as a lobbyist for cable and telecom companies; it's not as if Obama is disinterested in the department's direction. If anyone can be expected to give the FCC its marching orders, it is the current President.
Of course, the fact that Obama appointed somebody who worked professionally to not only to push the telecom industries agenda (and earlier to fund them, during his stint as a venture capitalist) gives a clear indication of what Obama really feels about Net Neutrality. He is merely setting up Wheeler to do the dirty work in hope of deflecting any bad press that might otherwise be aimed at the president when any and all hope of net neutrality goes down in flames .
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Rune of Doom on Wednesday February 19 2014, @12:18PM
Exactly. Obama s well within his rights, both on paper and based on precedent to fire Wheeler if he won't do what Obama wants. Ergo, what Obama actually wants is what Wheeler is doing. We've seen this pattern for the entire Obama campaign and administration: talk a good game, prominently hype positions and people with rational pro-freedom, pro-public agendas... and then appoint a corporate sock-puppet to any positions with real power.