Zane Safrit

Those who can’t innovate, restrict

Skype’s iPhone app was downloaded by over 1 million iPhone owners in...2 days. That’s the fastest rate of downloads for any iphone ap to-date.

And, as you’d expect, ATT has insisted restrictions be implemented on the use of iPhones to prevent the use of Skype over ATT’s 3G network.

A group called Free Press has asked the FCC to investigate the legality of ATT's restrictions. And as expected, ATT says they’re not required to promote the services of a competitor.

Sounds reasonable. Sounds reasonable except for the FCC Internet Policy Statement which states:

To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.

At this point, the internet is as much a part of our infrastructure as...well, roads and bridges. To the extent we foster, encourage, allow open commerce along this infrastructure we foster, encourage, the growth of our economy. Imagine a road builder saying it wouldn’t allow the trucks of its competitors to use any of the roads it had built. They would have a stranglehold on the economy...and stifle competition, innovation, growth, job creation.

Those who can’t innovate, restrict.

Those who can’t innovate, legislate or lobby.

Let’s hope the innovators win. That would be...us.

Links from Frederiek Pascal. 

Building the Internet to Build Innovation

President-elect Barack Obama recently announced an ambitious plan to build up the nation’s Internet infrastructure as part of his proposed economic stimulus package. Upgrading the Internet is a particularly smart kind of stimulus, one that would spread knowledge, promote entrepreneurship and make this country more competitive globally.

The United States has long been the world leader in technology, but when it comes to the Internet, it is fast falling behind. America now ranks 15th in the world in access to high-speed Internet connections. A cornerstone of Mr. Obama’s agenda is promoting universal, affordable high-speed Internet. Mr. Obama's Internet Agenda, NY Times, Dec. 15, 2009.

Yes!

Take THAT, Time-Warner and Comcast!

100 mbps connection. Flat-rate. No limits on use. ( AND some free long-distance minutes, too.)

And they're bringing it to my home, in a small rural town.

Take THAT, Time-Warner and Comcast! 

Small business gets it done.

Prepping us for a 2-tiered internet?

Reading my twitter feeds just now I see this tweet:

"Connection speed issues" on BellSouth. "Peak speeds aren't guaranteed" - Thanks automated BellSouth lady.

Is this an informational, Customer Service message. Or is it a message just prepping our expectations for A. a 2-tiered system; B. The need to pay more to get more or get what we had been getting. 

The Power of You (as measured and controlled by us)

Time-Warner announced their new metered-use internet service plan for the lucky residents of Beaumont, Texas. From TechCrunch.

Time-Warner's slogan now  is The power of you. After today, for the residents of Beaumont, it should say The Power of You (as measured and controlled by us).

The power of innovation that's been unleashed until now in the US with internet access is what's opened the doors to opportunities and startups and competition and innovation, regardless of locale. It's a level playing field that's benefited everyone. THAT's what's unleashed the power of you. And not a single corporate provider.

And now by limiting it, by controlling it and metering it ...they serve only to  control (stifle) this power of innovation and creativity and enterpreneurship...they seek to become the gatekeepers of small business, the jobs they create, our ability to compete globally...

Yeah, it is that big a deal, especially for small business, startups and small communities. You know, those places where over 50% of new jobs are created.

I'm blessed in many ways. One way is our community's commitment to bringing fiber to each home. 1/4 of the town has it now. We'll have ours later this summer. Let's measure the job growth in each town, Fairfield and Beaumont, over the next few years. For job growth, my money's on my town.

Ironically, not as in funny irony, but the kind of irony that makes you get...agitated, we've, all of us,  maybe already paid for fiber to the home. From TechDirt: You've Already Paid...

How much is the [data center] on your desktop?

Yes. How much IS that data center on your desktop. Ok, not literally on your desktop. But the data center you access, the network of datacenters, every time you  search using google?

$3 billion a year or so? Data Center Knowledge thinks so. Google's investing upwards of $3 billion this year in building data centers to keep the flow of data, you access with your searches, moving quickly.

And how much is Comcast investing? Oh, that's so not fair...or is it? Google invests in data centers to speed the flow of data. That's their business model. Comcast and others invest in attorneys and lobbyists to slow the speed of data...that's their business model. Which business model, not which company, will win is the answer to whether our economy will continue to grow.

Link from Nicholas Carr's Rough Type.

Virgin Media CEO Says "Bollocks" to Net Neutrality

Virgin Media CEO Attacks Net Neutrality

In an interview with the Royal Television Society's Television magazine, [CEO Neil] Berkett said that "this net neutrality thing is a load of b****cks", and revealed that Virgin is already in talks with unnamed content providers about paying to have their content delivered faster than others.

Cheerio.

Article in Digital Spy.

Heads up from Michael Arrington/TechCrunch Twitter post.