Net Neutrality -- Rearranging the Deck Chairs (T, VZ, BLS, CMCSA)

by: Andrew Schmitt April 07, 2006 | about stocks: BLS / CMCSA / T / VZ    
Andrew Schmitt

Andrew Schmitt

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The Net Neutrality ship continues to sink with the recent removal of wording from legislation that would have removed the right of carriers to tariff based on application.

I’ve always felt Net Neutrality is a concept that expropriates the property rights of carriers in order to allow media and content companies a free ride on their infrastructure. Google (GOOG), Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) and other media and content companies lack ownership of a layer-one digital right of way to the consumer -- so the easiest approach is to legislate the theft of it.

Anyone who thinks this is a reactionary opinion should consider what Rep. Ed Markey said about the failure to pass the bill. From the CNET article:

There is a fundamental choice. It’s the choice between the bottleneck designs of a…small handful of very large companies and the dreams and innovations of thousands of online companies and innovators.

What if this debate was over a privately owned road? Would Mr. Markey feel the same way?

The good of the many is more important than the good of the few. But there are laws that cover the taking of private property rights -- if you determine the greater good requires that the few forfeit their deed of ownership, then you should compensate them for it.

When it comes to “fundamental choice

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