Internet Emergency!!! Save the web!!!
Posted by Phoenix
The new CEO of Virgin Media, Neil Berkett, has openly stated in an interview that they think net neutrality is “a load of bollocks” and claimed they're already doing deals to deliver some people’s content faster than others. They would then put websites and services that don't pay Virgin in the "slow lane", meaning those sites would load slowly and cause most users to give up using them, feeling forced to use whatever Virgin wants to push through their network.
This is not the first time an internet provider infringes upon net neutrality, but it is the first time that an ISP so brutally states that they simply plan to limit internet access to a television-like system in which the access provider completely regulates the content you have access to.
Virgin Media has over 3.5 million customers in the UK and the real danger is that when they start applying this system to their network, all major internet providers around the globe will soon follow the trend. Because this is exactly what major ISP's have been wanting to do for years.
But we can stop it.
If the masses of the internet react against this, we will set an example of what happens when one provider tries to take away our freedom. We will make it very clear that any ISP who tries to infringe upon net neutrality will see its popularity go down the drain because the users don't accept it. And we'll see to it that only the providers who care about safeguarding our internet freedom have our support.
Speak out in any way you can and spread the word.
The original article clearly shows that Neil Berkett elaborately explained their plans to go against net neutrality. Since we're talking about much more than just one single line here, it's important to note that he couldn't have just been misquoted.
Extract from the original Television Magazine article:
Virgin Media is also looking at offering different speeds of service to content and application providers who are willing to pay for faster delivery. Berkett believes that the UK Government is open to business models like "fast lane" and "slow lane" broadband.
Talk of slow and fast lanes on the internet has proved very controversial in the US where a strong lobby for socalled "network neutrality" is pushing the Government to put legislation in place that will require ISPs to deliver all content on an equal basis to all users. The net neutrality advocates worry about a "two-speed internet" that allows those who can afford it superior access to services.
The Phoenix Fox Project Administration Notice: We appologise but the above paragraph is incorrect and we have addressed this in a recent blog entry where we have also got details on what the above paragraph should say.
But according to Berkett "this net-neutrality thing is a load of bollocks." He says that Virgin Media is already talking to content suppliers and application makers, including gaming companies, about how they might access the Virgin Media subscriber base more effectively. He admits that public service broadcasters such as the BBC, which are unwilling to pay for access, might end up in slower "bus lanes."
The Phoenix Fox Project is aimed at making the web a better place and it seems that at the moment virgin media is aimed at making it a corprate and very limited place. I have taken the libbery of creating an easy way to speak out against this new threat by creating a simple and easy to fill in petition where you can place your name, state your coutry, your favourite website and add a small comment to virgin and the rest of the world that ensures that you are heard and that it is simple to be heard.
You can do your bit by filling in the form and maybe add the supporters badge to your website, blog or social network
