Major ISPs Threaten To Throttle Innovation and Slow Network Upgrades

An anonymous reader writes "In a letter released on Tuesday and addressed to the FCC chairman, a group of the U.S.'s top ISPs have warned that if the FCC re-classifies the internet as telecommunications, then innovation would slow or halt and network upgrades would be unaffordable. 'Under Title II, new service offerings, options, and features would be delayed or altogether foregone. Consumers would face less choice, and a less adaptive and responsive Internet. An era of differentiation, innovation, and experimentation would be replaced with a series of 'Government may I?' requests from American entrepreneurs.' They add, 'even the potential threat of Title II had an investment-chilling effect by erasing approximately 10% of some ISPs' market cap.' Ars Technica highlights earlier doomsday predictions by AT&T. The FCC is scheduled to vote May 15 on the chairman's recent proposal encompassing this reclassification option that the ISPs vehemently oppose." Reader Bob9113 adds that a protest is planned for the same day by those who oppose the FCC's plans.

Like that scene from Blazing Saddles...

[bazmail]

where the new sheriff holds a gun to his own head and threatens to pull the trigger in order to get everyone to back off. I think it will work this time too as the FCC et al do their usual backing off party trick.

Re:If you regulate properly, we'll stop our busine

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

Careful there, son. If they don't get what they want, customers will have less choice than the one monopoly provider charging several times what international customers in equivalent markets pay that some of those customers can choose from at present.

Only innovation

[WhiteZook]

The only innovation they are doing is coming up with better ways to count their money.

Re:If you regulate properly, we'll stop our busine

[NotDrWho]

Well, they have a point. I mean, they are pretty innovative. Just 10 years ago, I had exactly two options for home broadband. Today, with all that amazing innovation and competition, I have exactly one option for home broadband.

Re:Monopolies are only part of the problem

[kuhnto]

You know, I'm starting to like this guy.

Re:Like that scene from Blazing Saddles...

[geminidomino]

Damn you, now I want to watch Blazing Saddles...

Re:Lies

[interkin3tic]

They didn't say that would be the ONLY thing preventing upgrades! Other things that make upgrades and innovation unaffordable include:

- It's wednesday
- But... MONEY!
- The old infrastructure isn't currently on fire
- All the engineers and accountants got super-fast internet first and they starved to death looking at high-def porn
- Still mad that they sent you all those AOL discs and you're not still using AOL. They worked really hard on that.
- You spend most of your time and bandwidth looking for something to watch on Netflix. Providing you faster internet would just make that worse
- The executive board REALLY likes cocaine and boats.
- Do you KNOW how hard it is digging in the dirt to put in fiber?!? You try it sometime! It's like digging through concrete!
- The rules of Monopoly the board game don't say anything about reducing rent just because people really don't want to pay if they land on Boardwalk. Everyone insists ISPs are a monopoly but don't want to play by the simple instructions. That's just hypocrisy.

Re:Like that scene from Blazing Saddles...

[TheAngryArmadillo]

> Damn you, now I want to watch Blazing Saddles...

Not over 'broadband' you don't.