On Nov. 17 2009, in advance of the NYC Council hearing on the same topic, and in conjunction with Web 2.0 Expo, an ‘Oxford Style’ debate was held on advisability of Network Neutrality regulation.
More info: http://tech-debate.com.
Video is below.
** Unfortunately, blip.tv where this event was archived is no more.. **
The Event
The debate was held on November 17th at the IAC Building, 555 W 18th St NYC.
The Debaters
Against
* James Assey – Executive Vice President, National Cable and Telecommunications Association
* Robert Quinn – Senior Vice President-Federal Regulatory, AT&T
* Christopher Yoo – Professor of Law and Communication; Director, Center for Technology, Innovation, and Competition, UPenn Law
For
* Tim Wu – Coined the term “Network Neutrality”; Professor of Law, Columbia Law
* Brad Burnham – VC, Union Square Ventures
* Nicholas Economides – Professor of Economics, Stern School of Business, New York University.
According to Wired.com:
The proposed text of the FCC rules:
1. Subject to reasonable network management, a provider of
broadband Internet access service may not prevent any of its users
from sending or receiving the lawful content of the user’s choice over
the Internet.
2. Subject to reasonable network management, a provider of
broadband Internet access service may not prevent any of its users
from running the lawful applications or using the lawful services of
the user’s choice.
3. Subject to reasonable network management, a provider of
broadband Internet access service may not prevent any of its users
from connecting to and using on its network the user’s choice of
lawful devices that do not harm the network.
4. Subject to reasonable network management, a provider of
broadband Internet access service may not deprive any of its users of
the user’s entitlement to competition among network providers,
application providers, service providers, and content
providers.
5. Subject to reasonable network management, a provider of
broadband Internet access service must treat lawful content,
applications, and services in a nondiscriminatory manner.
6. Subject to reasonable network management, a provider of
broadband Internet access service must disclose such information
concerning network management and other practices as is reasonably
required for users and content, application, and service providers to
enjoy the protections specified in this part.
Carriers, however, are still able use “reasonable network management”
to control their networks. And the needs of law enforcement and
“homeland security” also trump these rules.
Reasonable network management consists of: (a) reasonable
practices employed by a provider of broadband Internet access service
to (i) reduce or mitigate the effects of congestion on its network or
to address quality-of-service concerns; (ii) address traffic that is
unwanted by users or harmful; (iii) prevent the transfer of unlawful
content; or (iv) prevent the unlawful transfer of content; and (b)
other reasonable network management practices.