Posted by: Hank Hultquist on October 5, 2010 at 2:59 pm
I had the honor of participating in a terrific panel the other day at ITIF. The panel was about the idea of “managed services,” and much of the discussion focused on the value of QoS (quality of service) and prioritization on the Internet. Happily, it was a dogma-free zone. But, unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped some from engaging in Tuesday morning quarterbacking, complete with bumper sticker critiques and verbal shell games, instead of debating this issue on substance.
The presentations reviewed some of the history of differentiation and prioritization, both in the context of the Internet and elsewhere. It was an incredibly educational experience and, if you missed it, I recommend that you pop some corn and watch the whole thing here.
I’d like to draw your attention in particular to the part of Scott Jordan’s presentation when he makes the point that our policy focus should be on how to make QoS available on the Internet to the applications that need it. Needless to say, this is a far cry from the view of some that we should preserve the “best-efforts” Internet in regulatory formaldehyde.
I thought Rob Atkinson closed the panel on just the right note when he proposed a new slogan for policy wonks – “I want my QoS.”
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Posted by: AT&T Blog Team on September 30, 2010 at 2:01 pm
The following statement may be attributed to Jim Cicconi, Senior Executive Vice President of External & Legislative Affairs:
“After months of hard work, we were pleased to reach an agreement with Chairmen Waxman and Boucher on compromise legislation that would ensure the openness of the Internet while protecting investment – all without new, intrusive FCC regulation. While we are disappointed that it was not possible to introduce a bill with bipartisan support, we are mindful that these issues are important and complex, and that there was insufficient time to consider and act on our efforts. We are pleased that ranking members Barton and Stearns remain open to Congressional action on this issue, and pledge to work closely with them toward that end.
“This agreement demonstrates that when all parties act in good faith, and resist extreme voices, it is indeed possible to find a reasonable middle ground on the net neutrality issue. We remain convinced that the proper course is for Congress to decide the scope of authority it wishes the FCC to have in this area. And we remain equally convinced that the regulatory overreach being urged on the FCC by some is a major mistake that would adversely impact jobs and investment, and would likely be overturned in court.”
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Posted by: Michael Balmoris on September 23, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Today, Broadband for America released a survey that found that more than 75 percent of respondents agree that the Internet is currently working, and more than 55 percent oppose federal government regulation of the Internet. The following statement may be attributed to Jim Cicconi, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External and Legislative Affairs:
“This poll demonstrates once again what most everyone involved with the net neutrality issue already knows—that despite the fear-mongering of a few fringe groups, the American people overwhelmingly reject the idea of government regulation in the Internet space. Tellingly, even the few who do want more government oversight are worried about very different things—identity theft, pornography, spam and malware. The rest, by huge margins, feel the Internet is working well and reject government involvement.
“We should keep this hard data in mind when we see the increasingly juvenile tactics of Free Press and others. Waffles and intimidation are hardly the ingredients of intelligent debate. But with public opinion so clearly stacked against them, I suppose one understands why groups like Free Press prefer regulatory fiat to the idea of Congress addressing the net neutrality issue. They know that, if put to the test—a true test of public sentiment through the peoples’ elected representatives—their agenda will be rejected overwhelmingly.”
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