Broadband Challenge

NYCwireless is challenging every company that provides broadband services in NYC to make a public statement supporting the 4 Network Neutrality principles outlined below. We will keep a scorecard showing which companies have chosen to embrace these principles. Scorecard: BroadbandChallengeScoreCard Every provider should include a web page with their public statement on their own websites. We suggest that the URL to find a provider’s stance on Network Neutrality be made available to the Internet community via the URL http://YourISPWebsite/neutral.html. Providers submit your statements to neutral at nycwireless.net 

More on Network Neutrality

Recently the CEO of SBC made some very provocative statements in regards to allowing the Googles & Vonages of the world to provide services over the Internet to subscribers of the SBC broadband network without their permission. I think this is the first signal that the ever larger telcos have no plan to keep the Internet the way it was and want to lock out competition for services by controlling who can access their broadband subscribers. While SBC is not a major provider of broadband services in NYC. I feel someone must ask Verizon and TimeWarner/RCN/etc to make public statements ensuring they will continue to run an open network in which customers can access any legal content & services they wish. Considering that customer pay for the broadband service it is unacceptable that providers might block legal content and services to line their own pockets. Network Neutrality is the concept that network operators provide free and non-discriminatory transport on their networks between the endpoints of the Internet. This has been a basic concept and function of the Internet since it was invented, and is adopted by the FCC in these four principles to ensure that broadband networks are widely deployed, open, affordable, and accessible to all consumers: 

  1. Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice;
  2. Consumers are entitled to run applications and services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement;
  3. Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network; and
  4. Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.

NYCwireless is challenging every broadband provider to embrace these and make a public statement supporting them. 

Press

Please contact your ISP about supporting Network Neutrality. A great way to speak directly to your ISP in a public setting is to use the forums onhttp://www.dslreports.com/forums/25 . Or email them directly:

Suggested Letter to ISP

Dear <Insert ISP or Person’s Name>: I am very concerned about my service with <Insert ISP Name>. In a recent BusinessWeek? article, SBC CEO Edward Whitacre made some very provocative statements regarding whether he will allow content from Internet companies without some sort of compensation. One commentator has noted this is “well beyond blocking some ports…to actually blocking out websites and services unless they first pay SBC a fee.” (http://techdirt.com/articles/20051031/0354228_F.shtml) This is not the way the Internet is supposed to work. It is essential to keep the Internet as an open innovation platform and participatory communications commons for the long-term benefit of society. In response to SBC, NYCwireless is challenging every co
mpany that provides broadband services in NYC to make a public statement supporting the 4 Network Neutrality principles outlined below: 1. Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice; 2. Consumers are entitled to run applications and services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement; 3. Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network; and 4. Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers. I agree with these principles and they will play a major part in my choice of an ISP. Please let me know your position on Network Neutrality. NYCwireless suggests providers use the following URL to publicize their policy: http://YourISPWebsite/neutral.html. You can and should also go on record with the NYCwireless campaign by emailing the policy to neutral@nycwireless.net. More information can be found here: http://www.nycwireless.net/tiki-index.php?page=BroadbandChallange Please let me know by email your position. Thank you, <Your Name> Business week article: http://www.businessweek.com/@@n34h*IUQu7KtOwgA/magazine/content/05_45/b3958092.htm 

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