[pp.int.general] how do you feel about net neutrality?

[Amelia Andersdotter]

2008/9/5 David Arcos <david.arcos at gmail.com>:
>>
>> - "The internet is not a public utility, nor should it be treated as
>> such."
>
> Strongly disagree, unless you finish the sentence with: "... and the
> internet is neither a private utility, nor should it be treated as such."
>

But here is one of the things that might cause a problem from a
leftwing/rightwing perspective: either you see an internet connections
and the means to get it as a service provided by the market, or you
see the network infrastructure ("the means to get a connection") as a
part of country's infrastructure (like roads, sewers, etc.) which the
state/city provides for its citizens.

Because obviously, in Sweden the state, municipalities and EU grants
have funded most of the actual cables transporting the internet
traffic, so here the network _is_ a public utility. But in the States,
most of the network infrastructure has been built by private
enterprises who therefore also own it and should consequently be
allowed to do whatever they want.

/amelia