Tim Lee recently posted about Norwegian ISP NextGenTel returning to neutral provision of broadband after consumers objected to its practice of charging content providers for throughput.
It looks like Columbia law professor and champion of net neutrality regulation Tim Wu might be reading Lee – oh, and me. From the October 14 Economist:
“The public reaction has already been as powerful and effective as any law,” says Timothy Wu, a professor at Columbia Law School who is credited with coining the term “net neutrality”. The debate has put the telecoms companies on notice that they are being watched closely, he says, and has forced them to make public pledges not to block or degrade access. “Shame can have more power than litigation,” says Mr Wu. “The market and consumers can control bad practices, but consumers actually have to be aware of what is going on for that to happen.”
It’s an interesting strategic and ethical question whether brandishing the regulation cudgel is appropriate, but as long as we’re all agreed that consumers have influence in the broadband marketplace, I’m willing to let it go at that.
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.
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