A key goal of the telcos internationally is to find a way to “upgrade” the internet from a network optimized on innovation (layer independence, unauthenticated use allowed, open interconnection) to one optimized for billing (IMS, NGN).
Hardware manufacturers also like upgrades (and billing), so it's no surprise that 34 hardware makers sent a letter to the House yesterday in opposition to network neutrality.
It's unfortunate that these manufacturers can't take the long view. They can't because their shareholders want quick results, and because they need to sell more and more boxes all the time. The long view might be that an open, innovative internet is ultimately good for society (all of those positive externalities) and good for the company — because they'll be part of a more innovative world. But that's too far off, and too speculative, their advisors will say.
In other news, there's a new House Judiciary telecom bill (Public Knowledge comments here) and the second CALEA order from the FCC is out (here). The second CALEA order may become moot (or much of it may), depending on what the D.C. Circuit says in the next few months.
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As for me, I'm in LA for an ICANN board retreat. Oddly (only for me), we're meeting across the street from my old high school, Santa Monica HS (“Home of the Vikings”). In my day, we had the highest truancy rate in the nation — an open campus, a few blocks from the beach. My year had more than 900 people in it. Emilio Estevez was in my class and was voted “Prettiest Hair” our senior year. I spent most of the time in the band room. This was before personal computers. Now the kids who go there are probablybeyond personal computers — it's all texting, all the time.