network neutrality

The Google blog has a short entry today about Vint Cerf’s excellent testimony [PDF] before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He was speaking in defense of the crucial network neutrality principle. Go Vint!

In other news, the Post reports on how the greedy management at Verizon thinks that they are entitled to get paid twice for the use of their network. The people pay them for broadband access, but they think that content providers should pay too, or risk having their traffic treated as second-rank data flowing across the Verizon network. The more I hear from Verizon and SBC these days, the more they sound like the arrogant evil empire that AT&T was before the breakup. I really, really hope that Congress understands the importance of network neutrality, and acts accordingly. If not the innovative, open standards based internet as we know it is doomed.

Update 2006-02-12: Larry Lessig’s testimony [PDF] before the same committee is now also online, and an equally good read.

Update 2006-02-13: The BBC’s Bill Thompson weighs in as well, with a more European perspective on the issue.