Stimulus Bill Contains Net Neutrality Provision 129
visible.frylock writes "Cnet is reporting that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (PDF), currently in the House Appropriations Committee, contains Net Neutrality provisions: 'The so-called stimulus package hands out billions of dollars in grants for broadband and wireless development, primarily in what are called "unserved" and "underserved" areas. ... The catch is that the federal largesse comes with Net neutrality strings attached. ... recipients must operate broadband and high-speed wireless networks on an "open access basis." The FCC, soon to be under Democratic control, is charged with deciding what that means. Congress didn't see fit to include a definition.' The broadband grants appear to begin in SEC. 3101 (pg. 49) of the PDF."
Re:Slaves (Score:1, Informative)
i'm telling you, all we need to do is find people in need who are willing and capable of starting non-profit co-operatives to fill whatever need they have, be it clean automobiles or cheap internet services, and they'll take care of the rest.
our economy isn't going to be saved by giving handouts to the already excessively rich, so they can focus more money into their pockets.
our economy will get better when joe shmoe has more money to put in his bank account because he's not blowing all his dough on over priced crap he doesn't need because he's being overwhelmed by stressful advertising--stress is bad for america.
even the most decent middle class stores pocket around 20% off each item sold (how else do you think they make billions of dollars a year, it's not in pennies, it's in dimes).
anybody ever been to a 70% off sale after Xmas? they're still making a profit off each sale!
i work for an merchandise inventory service... i see in numbers. and i don't like what i see.
Re:open access (Score:2, Informative)
it is to be decided by the FCC lead, which is about to be that pro net neutrality Obama has already selected.
http://i.gizmodo.com/5130203/obamas-fcc-chairman-pick-revealed-net-neutrality-lovin-techie
Re:Slaves (Score:3, Informative)
Most people have to build their own roads.
Where I live right now, the road was at one time a cattle path leading to a neighbors land. Cattle have a habit of following relatively level land. Anyways, before my state was even a state, the cattle path became part of a wagon trail which was later turned into a road. There are 5 other roads around me that started off as nothing but driveways to homes or barns put up in choice spots. This was back in the late 1800's after my state was a state. Families multiplies and land split up and the drive ways needed to be improved for more people to have access to it. When the county mapped the place and marked the roads, they stayed. Some are still private roads and some are actual government roads. But they became government roads because the people wanted to collectivly take care of them not because the only way they would be built was by the government.
When a developer builds, at least in my area, they put in the sewage and water lines as well as the roads going to the development. This costs gets hidden inside the cost of the new homes or buildings. But it's the same principle, the private person/company makes the road and then sells it to the home owners who collectively give control to the city/county governments who collect taxes to maintain them. The US government is charged with creating post roads. The Interstate highways system was justified in that same light even though it was more for military and defense. State's might differ from place to place but most likely the guy is going to have to build his own road just like it has been done in the past. At some times down the road, the state or city or county might take over if enough other people use it or move around him. They might even incorporate and create a political subdivision of their own and be their own local government in charge of caring for the roads. In my state, all you need is 6 square miles of land to be a city. Villages require even less but you need more then 150 residents and no more then 5000 resident (something like that. It's been a while since I looked) within 2 square miles.
So yea, he would simple be doing it the old fashioned way instead of the new "waiting for government to do everything" way.