YPR: Net Neutrality Call-In

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Recommended Reading: Net Neutrality

Many of the following documents are .pdf (portable document format) and require Adobe Reader to view them.

Center for Digital Democracy Issues page (neutral-network advocate)

National Cable & Telecommunications Association Net Neutrality Brief (tiered-network advocate)

The proposed "Internet Freedom Preservation Act," a bill proposing an amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure net neutrality

"Why Consumers Demand Internet Freedom," by Ben Scott, Mark Cooper, and Jeannine Kinney (PDF)

"Nuts and Bolts of Network Neutrality," by Edward W. Felton (PDF)

"Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination," by Tim Wu (PDF)

"Net Neutrality: Value Chain Tug of War," prepared by Stifel Nicolaus Equity Research (PDF)

"Towards an Economic Framework for Net Neutrality Regulation," by Barbara van Schewick (PDF)

ypradio.org > YPR Program Guide > Local Programs > Net Neutrality Call-In

Net Neutrality Call-In

Listen to this program using Windows Media Player

A series of Tubes? Join YPR New Media Manager Ken Siebert and panelists Dr. Richard Wolff, Gilhousen Telecommunications Chair at MSU; Ben Scott, Policy Director for Free Press; and Sean O'Donnell, Regional Vice President and General Manager for Bresnan Communications Montana, for a wide-ranging discussion of the net neutrality debate, pending legislation, and the potential impact on the future of the Internet.

The debate over network neutrality in America has arguably become the most pressing issue in telecommunications today. At stake are a number of technical, philosophical, and economic questions that will determine what the Internet is, what it can be, and who stands to benefit at the outcome.

"Net Neutrality," as it is commonly known, began as a term to describe a network that doesn't allow one Internet application to take precedence over another; therefore, surfing the Web and playing an online-enabled videogame have the same level of importance--neither application is "discriminated" against in favor of the other. In a “non-neutral” or “tiered” network, certain applications would be allowed greater importance than others, and/or content providers who elect to pay service providers a fee would be allowed preferential treatment for their content. For example, in addition to online-enabled videogame content being "tiered" above surfing the Web in terms of application importance, videogame companies would bid for preferential treatment for their content over that of a rival company's.

The term "net neutrality" has evolved to encompass an ongoing debate about the government's role in deciding if and how networks should be regulated. As with any political issue, lobbying from all sides has clouded the issue in a series of emotion-laden catchphrases and vilifications of the other side's motives and reasoning.

Panelist Bios

Richard S. Wolff is the Gilhousen Chair in Telecommunications and professor of Electrical Engineering at Montana State University, Bozeman. His research interests are in novel applications of emerging technologies in telecommunications systems. Prior to joining MSU, he spent 25 years in telecommunications research at Telcordia, Bellcore and Bell Labs, and taught physics at Columbia University. He earned a BS in Engineering Physics at the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph. D. in Physics at Columbia University. He has published over 100 papers, has been awarded two patents, and is a senior member of the IEEE.

Ben Scott is the Policy Director for Free Press. He heads up the Washington DC office, dedicated to monitoring and analyzing media policymaking in order to increase public awareness and participation. Before joining Free Press, he worked as a legislative fellow handling telecommunications policy for Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the US House of Representatives. He is also in the final stages of his doctoral degree in communications from the University of Illinois. He is the author of several scholarly articles on American journalism history and the politics of media regulation as well as co-editor of Our Unfree Press (The New Press, 2004) and The Future of Media (Seven Stories, 2005).

Sean O'Donnell is Regional Vice-President and General Manager for Bresnan Communications Montana, which provides high-speed internet connections to approximately 48,000 homes in the state. In this capacity, he is responsible for all operational aspects of Bresnan's presence in Montana. Prior to joining Bresnan, Sean experience includes internet and telecommunications work for SBC/AT&T, MediaOne (now Comcast), AT&T Broadband (now Comcast), and Charter Communications.