Telephone Companies Desperate for Control

With the advent of VOIP threatening traditional long distance and as more and more people get away from traditional land based lines to VOIP and cell phones, the telecom giants like AT&T are scrambling to figure out where they are going to get their money from.

In one bill, they are trying to create a two-tiered Internet where they can restrict your downloads from companies that do not pay them extra money.

Tech Giants' Internet Battles Web titans like Google and Yahoo! are battling some of the smartest lobbyists in the business. And they've just lost a big one on Capitol Hill.

A host of tech outfits, from Google to Intel, suffered a setback in a battle over access to the Internet on Apr. 26. At issue is whether telcos like AT&T and cable operators such as Comcast, which maintain the country's vast broadband networks, can favor one provider's Web traffic over another's. A measure that would bar the practice was shot down by a Congressional committee.

Of course it was shot down by a committee of senators who have been paid off by the telecom companies. A look into each of those who voted the bill down shows a lot of support from the telecom industry through campaign bribes, I mean contributions.

The Internet should not be restricted by the telephone comapnies. They already charge us for access to the Internet and now they want to control what we download, which music we listen to, and which videos we watch. Those companies willing or able to pay them will be able to distribute music and video. Those that cannot or will not pay their toll will not be able to. That is just wrong on so many levels.

If the above information does not convince you that the phone companies are out to tax every aspect of the Internet, read this.

More things that just piss me off