"Cable television companies that sell internet connectivity are considering whether to limit their Internet users to downloading only the company’s mix of entertainment,"
This is the big one for me and should also include mobile providers. For the web to promote real innovation and be truly "democratic", this mafia must be dismantled.
I'm just thinking that's unlikely to happen as long as some level of competition is maintained - nobody is going to put up with a walled-in internet. As soon as the cable company does this the telco will capitalize on it like mad, and vice-versa.
I can see a provider provide, say, special content only to users of their network - but that's a completely different story.
Large companies will tend to act in an obnoxious enough way, so that their users will flee to smaller, hungrier, more savvy competitors. (Often using newer technology like WiMax.) I'm an example of this. (All of my internet use is through WiMax now.)
Comments
"Cable television companies that sell internet connectivity are considering whether to limit their Internet users to downloading only the company’s mix of entertainment,"
This is the big one for me and should also include mobile providers. For the web to promote real innovation and be truly "democratic", this mafia must be dismantled.
I'm just thinking that's unlikely to happen as long as some level of competition is maintained - nobody is going to put up with a walled-in internet. As soon as the cable company does this the telco will capitalize on it like mad, and vice-versa.
I can see a provider provide, say, special content only to users of their network - but that's a completely different story.
Large companies will tend to act in an obnoxious enough way, so that their users will flee to smaller, hungrier, more savvy competitors. (Often using newer technology like WiMax.) I'm an example of this. (All of my internet use is through WiMax now.)