CES: AT&T contemplates filtering
Not too long ago, the recording industry was pressing file-sharing networks such as Kazaa to use filtering to deter piracy of copyrighted works.
NBC Universal today renewed the call for technological intervention in a forum at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, but with a twist. It's urging service providers, such as AT&T, to filter for copyrighted works as data travels over the network to your computer.
AT&T seems at least willing to consider filtering to curb Internet piracy, noting that Internet service providers recognize that they have moral -- but not necessarily legal -- obligation to deal with theft.
"It is a systemic problem," said James W. Cicconi, AT&T's senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs. "It is theft. It does burden our network. It creates extra cost to our consumers. It opens them to legal liability in many cases as well. "
The mere idea is bound to trigger consumer backlash, as occurred when Comcast Corp. started throttling BitTorrent traffic.
Other participants in the forum were filtering companies Audible Magic and Vobile Inc., consumer electronics giant Philips and Microsoft Corp.
-- Dawn C. Chmielewski
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AT&T is only using this as one more tool in its fight to segment Internet traffic and exact money from both subscribers and web sites subscribers visit. The Internet is so powerful because packets are not discriminated against. AT&T, Verizon, and other service providers have been paid close to $200 Billion over the past 15 years with tax payer money to build out the backbone network it is currently arguing is not cost effective to operate without charging from both sides of an Internet transaction. If AT&T no longer wishes to operate in this business, it should divest itself of those services or return the tax payer money it accepted.
In other words, it is time for the FCC to step up and do its job. Congress mandated in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that FCC to “encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans...” AT&T's actions are in direct contradiction of that mandate.
Posted by: dfb | January 08, 2008 at 11:57 PM
AT&T is only using this as one more tool in its fight to segment Internet traffic and exact money from both subscribers and web sites subscribers visit. The Internet is so powerful because packets are not discriminated against. AT&T, Verizon, and other service providers have been paid close to $200 Billion over the past 15 years with tax payer money to build out the backbone network it is currently arguing is not cost effective to operate without charging from both sides of an Internet transaction. If AT&T no longer wishes to operate in this business, it should divest itself of those services or return the tax payer money it accepted.
In other words, it is time for the FCC to step up and do its job. Congress mandated in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that FCC to “encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans...” AT&T's actions are in direct contradiction of that mandate.
Posted by: dfb | January 08, 2008 at 11:58 PM