FRANKEN OPINES: NET NEUTRALITY & COMCAST-NBC MERGER

An issue that's all over the Web, Facebook and Twitter is the Net Neutrality deal that the FCC negotiated and Congress passed. The outlook isn't very clear and by the alarming accounts I've read, could have a negative affect on the services we are used to.

The most notable alarmist who has done his best to waken the public of these fears is  Al Franken of Minnesota. In an article in PC Mag, Franken states:

"I believe we are facing and will continue to face a growing threat of corporate control on the flow of information in our country. These rules are not strong enough." "This is the first time the FCC has ever allowed discrimination on the Internet."

For internet savy folks who are paying attention, we have been following the best we can, but details are coming out now after the December decision. The discrimination that Franken speaks of is the wealthy corporations flooding our normal search-engines with "Preferred" links and bolstered downloads while pushing competitors aside and dampening their download times. Smaller companies and/or entrepreneurs would be pretty much shut out.

This may not be big chatter on the street, but the new rules apply to fixed internet providers and not wireless companies. The hope is that the FCC will come back to this issue and modify the new rules in small steps in the near future now that the bulk of the law is established.Thus providing equal protection for wireless geeks everywhere. 
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts & NBC's Jeff Zucker pictured below.

Although the deal was granted by congress, it was passed by party line vote. Other than Franken, all the minority Republican Congressmen voted against having any forced equalization of internet neutrality. So while Al claimed the bill didn't go far enough, they thought it intrusive and went beyond their duty.
  While I'm writing about Al Franken, I can note the continued chatter all over the same outlets regarding the Comcast-NBC merger. The FCC gave their blessing to the merger last Tuesday, creating the biggest TV/Internet Provider in history. Franken is also ringing the alarm on this as well. Sure the FCC and the DoJ did their best to lay out stipulations and safeguards throughout the the deal, but how long before these firms order their lawyers to dissolve any consumer protections they deem monopoly deterrent?
 In the WashPost, Franken said: "A combined Comcast-NBCU will lead to higher cable prices, hurt small providers, and prompt cable channels to accept fewer licensing dollars just to reach Comcast's 23 million customers.  I'm hearing that Comcast is already intends to pull NBC's programming from Netflix when it's next up for review. It will only be a matter of time before we see AT&T trying to buy ABC-Disney or Verizon trying to buy CBS-Viacom." 

Only a week ago, I posted a YouTube link here to provide access to an online petition that Al Franken initiated. It had no affect on the FCC. We can only watch from the consumer's perspective now that these deals are done. 
I can only say Thank you Representative Franken for your attempts. 

DO-NOT-CALL LIST: GET ON IT!

So, you're right ion the middle of something important, your mobile phone starts ringing in your pocket, you look, it's a number you don't know. Thinking it might be important, you answer..."Hello, this is the second notice that your car warranty has expired and you may be..." Now you're mad that they called you again!

We've all suffered with that automated call during this past year. But did you notice it stopped a few weeks ago? I hadn't thought about it either.

Turns out the FTC obtained a court order blocking "robo-calls" on those things and until I read that, I didn't realize my ignorant bliss. I once told the human that finally answered that I had a 1972 Pontiac LeMans convertible and that I would like to get the warranty reinstated. He hung up. That didn't stop the calls though.

The new one? Automated calls pitching bogus credit card interest rates and mortgage scams. Thats right, in this critical time, the robo-calls are targeting consumers with ridiculously low rates that most of us would think were too good to be true...once again, the old adage is true. Don't believe it for a minute.

To combat this, Sen Chuck Schumer has asked the Federal Trade Commission take action against these unsolicited calls. I can support that. What took so long to stop those warranty calls in the first place?
Anyway, I applaud Chuck for getting to this one right away. It seems the robo-calls are even pestering people who are on the Do Not Call list.

Anyone who receives one of these calls should file an official complaint through the FTC's website, http://www.donotcall.gov . Don't let it slide. It's one thing to be irritated to death by a non-threatening robo-call, but some of our most vulnerable may fall for the new credit card scheme. Lets kill this one right away.