"They own the equipment; they should get to control how their property is used (in accordance with their contracts)."
The Internet was developed with tax-payer dollars. Parts of it are now owned and maintained by various corporations, but the existence of this part of their business is based on public investment.
How is it then that select businesses then get to have exclusive control over what gets passed over certain parts of the 'Net?
I'm not a fan of centralized control nor do I want a nationalized 'Net. I would prefer as a much of a free market approach as possible. But we're well past the point were private companies are going to be inventing and building their own infrastructure, with free and open competition, and arguing for the telcos on the basis of private property or free enterprise seems disingenuous.
The Internet was developed with tax-payer dollars. Parts of it are now owned and maintained by various corporations, but the existence of this part of their business is based on public investment.
How is it then that select businesses then get to have exclusive control over what gets passed over certain parts of the 'Net?
I'm not a fan of centralized control nor do I want a nationalized 'Net. I would prefer as a much of a free market approach as possible. But we're well past the point were private companies are going to be inventing and building their own infrastructure, with free and open competition, and arguing for the telcos on the basis of private property or free enterprise seems disingenuous.