Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

FCC Public Hearing in Boston – Save the Internet!

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More information: www.savetheinternet.com/=boston

The question before us is simple: Will we have a closed Internet controlled by a small handful of giant corporations, or an open Internet controlled by the people who use it?

With so much at stake, it’s encouraging that the FCC’s first move is to come to Boston for public feedback about the importance of a free-flowing Internet. Let’s hope this important hearing in Massachusetts is just the beginning of a national conversation that spreads to every town and city across the country.

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Comments

    • I have to agree with sco on this one. I mean honestly, 11 – 5 on a workday? Since it would be FAR too much of an inconvenience for the FCC & HLS to move the time of this hearing, who should (rightly) disappointed and angry citizens direct there ire and missives too? I would guess the FCC Chair and our electeds, but if people have other ideas please chime in.  

      • Hey everyone – I have worked to organize people to attend these public hearings in a number of cities across the country  and day time hearings are the most difficult to get people out to. Additionally, the FCC often schedules these hearings with only a week’s notice.

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        p>This makes it all the more important to spread the word about this event. If you can come at your lunch break, or at the end of the day, you can drop in and drop out throughout the day. We can be sure that Comcast, Verizon and others will be filling the room with their staff and we need to be sure the public has a strong voice here too.

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        p>Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this event (jstearns@freepress.net) or ideas about how we can get the word out.

        <

        p>Josh Stearns – Campaign Coordinator, Free Press

        • Hi all,

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          p>To follow up on Josh’s post, there are a number of ways to stay plugged in to the hearing during the day so long as you’re internet connected (irony?!  We’re doing what we can!!).  And following the hearing, from about 4:30 on, a wrap up discussion and reception will be hosted at the University to provide more time and opportunity for issues and ideas to be aired.

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          p>If you’re unable to make it to the hearing, a live audio webcast will be hosted at:
          http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio.

          <

          p>In addition, back channel exchanges will occur through IRC and a Live Question Tool.  The issues that come across through these tools will seed the afternoon public discussion.

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          p>Chat on IRC Channel:
          irc://irc.freenode.net/berkman
          (more information here: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/h…

          <

          p>Live Question Tool: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/q…
          (Choose Feb25FCCHearing Instance to propose, answer, and vote on questions and ideas related to the hearing.)

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          p>We hope to see – and hear, and read – you tomorrow!

          <

          p>Becca Tabasky
          Community Coordinator, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at HLS

          <

          p>

  3. Food For Thought. Network management is something that progressives should be behind. It prevents people for using so much bandwidth that it hurts other users. Here is a op-ed by Jose Marquez, CEO of LISTA, a group dedicated to advocating on technology issue as they relate to the Hispanic community. It makes some great points.

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    p>Here’s the Link:
    http://www.nj.com/timesoftrent…

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    p>And an excerpt:
    “But this downloading ultimately takes a toll on the network: Ex perts at Cisco and Cachelogics have estimated that P2P transfers make up 50 percent to 90 percent of all Internet traffic. Thus, the P2P traffic from a few users can put a disproportionate strain on local broadband networks, degrading everyone else’s on-line experience. If a few college students all download advance copies of “There Will Be Blood” at 7 p.m. on a Monday, it could effectively slow their neighbors’ connections to a crawl, mak ing it frustrating to even check e- mail.”

  4. Isn’t this hearing on cable’s network management, not on the telco’s  spying on Americans? Because that’s a different hearing, which will take place in court. Unless some President gets his way…  

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