Zane Safrit

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.