Buying the Internet, $1 million at a time

Posted by Deanna Zandt at 6:20 AM on April 27, 2006.

Oh, AT&T and your wacky antics -- what with re-routing your circuits to pass through a government-run spy box, and now this? Donating $1 million to a community center that's sponsored by a congressman on the House Energy and Commerce Committee... who knew you could be so flagrant, so blatant?

Yesterday, the House committee voted against Network Neutrality (PEEK has more on the vote); via TechSearch's Networking and Telecom blog, we learn that AT&T donated a whopping million dollars to this community center that was created by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), whom the Chicago Sun-Times calls "a key player" on telecommunications legislation. Know why he's a key player? Rush is the only Democrat to sponsor the 'Communications Opportunity Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006.' He has been working with committee chair Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to promote the 'Barton-Rush' bill." Great.

The grant from AT&T's charitable arm was doled out way back in 2004, but you can't tell me that a million dollars going straight to a charitable cause that you started isn't going to influence your thoughts on communications and technology.

A CNet News.com article gives two excellent reasons why Network Neutrality (see what that actually means here; or watch this video) is critical to maintaining the Internet as-is, and not selling it off to the major providers. First:

"Did the Bells create the Internet? Did the cable companies create the Internet?" asked Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and sponsor of the amendment. "The answer is no. The Internet was built on a different model, a public interest model, funded by American taxpayers."

Exactly. And from the other side:

[I]t will only be economically feasible to invest in higher-speed links if some bandwidth can be reserved for paid content. In an interview with CNET News.com, for instance, Verizon Chief Technology Officer Mark Wegleitner said movie-quality video could be delivered to DSL subscribers if the copyright owner would pay.

So independent artists and filmmakers who can't afford to pay the telecoms, or at least influence them with deep-pocket incentives, have no say in how their content reaches audiences. Currently, it's a fairly level playing field, and with services like YouTube, OurMedia and others, it's getting easier all the time for content creators to get their work out there.

When you've got groups from Gun Owners of America to MoveOn teaming up with big corporations like Microsoft, Intel, Amazon.com and Google, that should send a message saying loud and clear that Network Neutrailty is critically important to the future of the Internet. The bill is headed up the food chain next week; call your representatives and tell them to support Network Neutrality. Then head over to SaveTheInternet.com to find out more.

Deanna Zandt is a contributing editor at AlterNet.