Big Communications Companies Still Challenging Internet Neutrality And Freedom in 2007

Big communications providers are still challenging internet neutrality in 2007, seeking to build support in state legislators and among the Wall Street community. Despite the fact that probig telecommunications business Senator Ted Stevens no longer is in the driver seat in the Senate to push through legislation that benefits big communications providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner, these mega communications giants are still seeking to act as the electronic gatekeepers for the future flow of information on the internet.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is one of the leading supporters for the consumers who currently use the internet and like it just the way it currently works. But big telecommunications companies such as AT& T and Comcast are counting on the future technology advancement of all services to a broadband nature which will include cable TV, telephone and internet services. These major companies would then be able to speed up the flow or access to the largest website payers, or slow down or restrict access to the smaller sites who pay little.

Political or controversial free speech websites and blogs could be threatened under such a "pay to play" system controlled by the major communication providers. Smaller websites could be difficult to nearly impossible to access. Even Google's Alan Davidson fears the ability to search more freely for any website or the ability to preserve press freedom under such a system where the big communications companies control even the search engine features. While Google claims to have the attorney power to defend it's financial interests, Davidson fears that smaller websites do not have the legal representation power to defend their own free speech rights.

Regretfully, Verizon refers to the current system as giving a "free lunch' to anyone who wishes to be heard on the internet. This is a cruel dollars and cents view of the First Amendment, and opposed to the relative democracy that currently exists on the internet. Just because the mega communications industry suffered some setbacks with the last congress with the loss of clout of Ted Stevens, or even the defeat of his probig business communications bill does not mean that this issue is dead in 2007.

Big communications providers think that building support among the major Wall Street wealthy big business community and virtually ignoring the role of congress is the eventual path to their dominance over the internet, and the end of internet neutrality and freedom to publish or express opinions at will. Some bloggers could indeed still become an endangered species.