Trump's Telecom Chief Is Ajit Pai, Critic Of Net Neutrality Rules

[Captain Obvious]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/23/510844936/trumps-telecom-chief-is-ajit-pai-critic-of-net-neutrality-rules


Ajit Pai, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, will be the country's new chief telecommunications regulator. He's a proponent of limited government and a free-market approach to regulations.
Pai's promotion within the FCC under the administration was long rumored and confirmed on Monday by his office. In a statement, Pai said he looked forward "to working with the new Administration, my colleagues at the Commission, members of Congress, and the American public to bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans."
On Twitter, Pai also added (https://twitter.com/AjitPaiFCC/status/823647236978569218): "There is so much we can do together to bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans and to promote innovation and investment. From broadband to broadcast, I believe in a 21st-century version of Jefferson's 2nd Inaugural: we are all Republicans, we are all Democrats."


http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2017/01/20/gettyimages-472383522-505374874cc7d085df075f07e35ec42bb9e3071a-s800-c85.jpg

[Captain Obvious]

For the record, the new landscape is a liberty and information grab. It's why our online freedom ranking is right up there with China and I don't expect that part to change anytime soon under this administration but we'll see.

[Subdermal]

Great choice. This guy is as sharp as they come.

[waltky]

Since Obama gave away control of the internet...

... net neutrality is as much a thing of the past...

... as buggy whips.

[Common]

I would love for trump to unhinge the drug industry that has a stranglehold on americans. I see the struggle so many people have in florida getting the medication they need.

Like Celebrex, the maker of celebrex Pfizer, the drug was mainstream and over 200.00 for a 30 day subscription for 19 yrs until it went generic. Thats not recooping your investment and making profit thats robbing people. Especially when you consider they sold the drug during the same period for less than half and in europe and other countries that are regulated even far less.
Thats just one drug and one that hasnt life threatening implications. Think of all those we get raped every day with.

[waltky]

Trump tryin' to get internet back under U.S. control...
:cool2:
Trump's FCC may try to roll back net neutrality. Here's why that matters
January 24, 2017: Ajit Pai may not be a household name, but he could end up changing the Internet for American households.


President Trump officially picked Pai on Monday to serve as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the agency that reviews media mergers and broadcast licenses. But it's Pai's opposition to existing net neutrality rules that worries many in tech and media most. The net neutrality rules, approved by the FCC in 2015 amid an outpouring of online support, are intended to keep the Internet open and fair. As written, the rules prevent Internet providers like Comcast (CCV) and AT&T (T, Tech30) from deliberately speeding up or slowing down traffic from specific websites and apps. In short, they're intended to prevent providers from playing favorites.

When the rules were first approved, Pai criticized it by quoting Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. After Trump's victory, Pai said he believed a change was finally coming. "On the day that the [rules were] adopted, I said that 'I don't know whether this plan will be vacated by a court, reversed by Congress, or overturned by a future Commission. But I do believe that its days are numbered," Pai said in a speech last month. "Today, I am more confident than ever that this prediction will come true." For those who take for granted that the Internet just works, all the fuss around this issue may be confusing. But longtime net neutrality advocates warn of dire consequences for businesses and consumers if net neutrality is weakened or overturned.


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/170124115516-ajit-pai-net-neutrality-780x439.jpg
Ajit Pai, Trump's pick for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission

It's about "allowing consumers to pick the winners and losers and not [having] the cable companies make those decisions for them," says Michael Cheah, general counsel at video site Vimeo. If net neutrality is walked back, an Internet service provider like Comcast could potentially allow its own video content to load faster than competing content on a service like Vimeo. Alternatively, it could force Vimeo to pay more to get its content into the Internet's fast lane. "[Imagine] sitting home on a Friday night and planning to stream a movie or a television show and then to have that buffer or not work," Cheah says. "When you don't know why that's happening, you blame the service -- the Netflix or YouTube or Vimeo. If it's not caused by them, that's a problem."

Even with the rules in place, telecoms have been accused of flouting the spirit of net neutrality. AT&T, for example, unveiled a streaming video service through DirecTV that doesn't count against the customer's data limits. The FCC accused AT&T of giving itself an unfair advantage over streaming rivals, which will effectively be viewed as more costly to consumers in comparison. Under Pai, a former lawyer for Verizon (VZ, Tech30), the FCC is less likely to push back. (AT&T "applauded" Trump for picking Pai.) Disclosure: AT&T has agreed to acquire Time Warner, the parent company of CNN. The deal is pending regulatory approval.

MORE (http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/24/technology/fcc-net-neutrality/index.html)

[waltky]

Net neutrality is a simple concept but a dense and often technical issue...


Net Neutrality Advocates Speak Up as FCC Set to Strike Down Rules
December 08, 2017 — Net neutrality is a simple concept but a dense and often technical issue that has been argued over for years in tech and telecom circles. Now everyday folks are talking about it.


That's because the Federal Communications Commission has scheduled a vote next week to gut Obama-era rules meant to stop broadband companies such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet. The protests aren't likely to stop the agency's vote on Thursday, but activists hope the outcry will push Congress to intervene and will show support for stricter regulation down the road. Net neutrality has been a hot button before, thanks to assists from Silicon Valley and TV host John Oliver speaking out about what they see as threats to the internet. More Hollywood celebrities have been joining the cry against the agency's direction. "Long live cute dog videos on YouTube! #RIPinternet. Share what you loved about The Internet," actor Mark Ruffalo tweeted as he urged people to push Congress to intervene. Big-time Hollywood producer Shonda Rhimes tweeted a link to a story about saving net-neutrality on her lifestyle website.


Net-neutrality rules bar cable and phone companies from favoring certain websites and apps — such as their own services — and give the FCC more oversight over privacy and the activities of telecom companies. Supporters worry that repealing them would hurt startups and other companies that couldn't afford to pay a broadband company for faster access to customers. Critics of the rules say that they hurt investment in internet infrastructure and represent too much government involvement in business. Phone and cable companies say the rules aren't necessary because they already support an open internet. While libertarian and conservative think tanks and telecom trade groups have spoken up against net neutrality, everyday people have been vocal in protesting the rules' repeal.



https://gdb.voanews.com/101FA1C5-DC28-42E0-8B77-70A8AAD8EBEF_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg
Demonstrators rally in support of net neutrality outside a Verizon store, Dec. 7, 2017, in New York.



Since the FCC announced just before Thanksgiving that it was planning to gut the rules, there have been about 750,000 calls to Congress made through Battle for the Net, a website run by groups that advocate for net neutrality. By contrast, there were fewer than 30,000 calls in the first two weeks of November. While Congress doesn't need to approve FCC decisions, it can overrule the agency by passing a law. Net neutrality also has triggered discussions all over social media, even in groups that typically do not discuss tech policy. In one Facebook group about leggings seller LuLaRoe, one woman's lament about the repeal triggered more than 270 responses. They included questions about what net neutrality was, links to explanations and statements of support. The discussion sprawled into the next day.


Meanwhile, net-neutrality supporters protested outside 700 Verizon stores Thursday, said Tim Karr, senior director of strategy for Free Press, an advocacy group involved in Battle for the Net. In midtown Manhattan, some 350 people came to chant slogans and wave signs. "Access to a free and fair internet is necessary for a functioning democracy," said Lauren Gruber, a writer for a branding agency who joined the New York protest. If the net-neutrality rules are repealed, she said, "it's just another showcase of oligarchy upon America." Most people don't follow what federal agencies like the FCC are doing, even though decisions can have a lot of impact on people's lives, said Beth Leech, political science professor at Rutgers University. Having celebrities speak out can help spark people's interest, she said. "Protests that draw average people out into the streets across the country are relatively rare," she said. "It's the rarity that gives them some of their power."


MORE (https://www.voanews.com/a/net-neutrality-advocates-speak-up-fcc-set-strike-down-rules/4155626.html)

[MisterVeritis]

Net neutrality is a simple concept but a dense and often technical issue...

Net Neutrality Advocates Speak Up as FCC Set to Strike Down Rules
December 08, 2017 — Net neutrality is a simple concept but a dense and often technical issue that has been argued over for years in tech and telecom circles. Now everyday folks are talking about it.
The government does not get to regulate the internet.