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ACLU: Cable Companies Could Control Internet
Thu Jul 11, 1:53 PM ET
Lisa Gill, www.EcommerceTimes.com
Fearing a monopoly by cable broadband companies and a resultant loss of freedom
of speech, civil liberties groups said they will fight federal measures that
would let cable Internet providers retain control of their networks and bar
competing Internet service providers (ISPs) from using their lines.
. Analysts: Broadband Competition a 'Firestorm'
. Cable Internet Providers To Drop Franchise Fees
. U.S. House Passes Controversial Broadband Bill
The American Civil Liberties Union ( news - web sites) and other groups, in
reports released Wednesday, argued that the Internet's success is based on
"open networks." They noted that cable broadband providers, which more users
are turning to for high-speed access, "wield total control over Internet use"
and are not subject to regulatory or competitive measures.
As a result, the ACLU said, a smaller number of companies control access to the
Internet, as well as the content available on the network.
"In the same way that we have battled Internet censorship by the government, we
will also fight to make sure that private corporations aren't allowed to get
into a position where they can dictate what we read and say online," said Barry
Steinhardt, director of the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Program.
Regulator Measures Needed
According to the groups, cable companies should be subjected to the same common
carrier regulatory measures that apply to phone companies. Those regulations
force telephone operators to let their lines be used for transferring voice and
data.
The Federal Communications Commission ( news - web sites) (FCC ( news - web
sites)) currently is debating how to classify cable network lines. That
decision will affect how or even whether they are regulated.
"No one is saying they can't make a lot of money at it, but we're saying they
can't monopolize unfairly your access and discriminate against Web sites
online," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital
Democracy, who collaborated on preparating the reports.
Chester told NewsFactor that the groups want cable operators to "have an
infrastructure which enables the Internet to thrive in a robust, competitive
climate."
The ACLU noted that its focus on cable broadband providers was spurred by that
technology's widespread adoption by consumers and businesses, compared with
slower adoption of competing DSL (digital subscriber line) technology.
Too Little, Too Late?
"Where were they when the related bills passed Congress? Why now?" Lisa Pierce,
broadband research analyst at Giga Information Group, said of the newly
released reports.
Pierce told NewsFactor that she believes that because of other congressional
focus points, the ACLU is unlikely to gain much momentum from its
announcements.
However, she noted, it is important for the FCC to take a more holistic
approach to regulating its telecommunications infrastructure, rather than
dividing up the technologies, "whether it's landline or wireless, whether it's
fixed or mobile, whether it's cable, copper or fiber."
Chester agreed that a single regulation is needed by the FCC. He noted that,
ultimately, "the game here is that both the phone and cable guys really want to
end up monopolizing as much Internet traffic as they can."
Cable Company LANs
In addition to government regulation of cable companies -- or lack thereof --
the ACLU also took issue with how customers access the Internet when logged on
via a cable provider.
According to the ACLU, cable operators make the Internet available to consumers
via a LAN (local area network). As a result, they theoretically can control the
speed at which Web sites download. And they can even block certain Web sites.
Network operators also can monitor customer usage and can control the content
users see by forcing customers to log in on a central home page.
But Pierce was adamant that the configuration varies little from other ISPs --
dial-up, cable or DSL. "The filtering happens at the level of the ISP," she
said.
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