Possible new FCC chair could focus on net neutrality, not cable pricing
by Darren Murph 
posted Jan 13th 2009 at 5:00PM
Make no mistake, we have all ideas that Julius Genachowski is very much concerned with cable pricing, but according to analysts, putting pressure on operators isn't apt to be his focus. Jules, as he's known around the Engadget offices, is expected to be named the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. His primary concern? Network neutrality. As with most things in politics, the appointment is likely to be a double-edged sword for consumers; on one hand, we'll greatly benefit from a higher-up pushing open internet development and increased deployment, but on the other, we can pretty much kiss any faint hopes of à la carte pay-TV arrangements goodbye. Of course, before he tackles any of that, he'll first have to deal with the impending digital TV transition, which should be immensely riveting to watch from the sidelines.
Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Internet
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kcmurphy88 @ Jan 13th 2009 5:09PM
"we can pretty much kiss any faint hopes of à la carte pay-TV arrangements goodbye"
Thank God.
That's as insane an idea as thinking you can get cheaper internet access "because I don't view 99.9999% of web sites. Why should I pay for all of them?"
Nate @ Jan 13th 2009 5:55PM
Don't look to the gov't to make things cheaper. Look to competition (read: video over IP)
minimalist @ Jan 13th 2009 8:18PM
Which is why the government should stop giving cable companies monopolies and then they might actually HAVE to compete. Either way the FCC will have to get involved to make it happen. These companies are running monopolies using public land. The people (and therefore the government) have every right to make certain demands of them.
You're either going to be a regulated utility or you'll have to truly compete to for customers along side other cable companies using the same lines. They can't have it both ways.
minimalist @ Jan 13th 2009 8:18PM
A La Carte programming will happen via internet streaming over the TV all by itself.
All the FCC just focusses on net neutrality and make sure Apple's, Hulu's, Microsofts, Netflixe's, and Amazon's internet traffic gets held to the same standard as the content delivered by the cable companies themselves.
Sooner or later a decision is going to have to be made about bandwidth caps that cable companies conveniently do not apply to their own on demand content (or voip phone service).
Jesse @ Jan 13th 2009 9:44PM
that's such a great point. if internet companies start decreasing the bandwidth that can be used on video streaming websites (and putting monthly caps on bandwidth transfer), we can kiss the internet as we know it goodbye. Smaller sites will have to join into bigger networks for a fee in order for John Smith to read what smaller writers have to say. On top of that, I'm sure these networks will have lots of legal crap that will reserve the right to take over said website if they want.
I'm almost happy that this guy is doing what he is doing considering I'll probably skip on the cable/satellite when it isn't already added into my rent. That way, I can watch what I want, when I want it, with minimal commercials in better quality then the over compressed cable companies are providing.
Dan @ Jan 13th 2009 11:00PM
Going after Big Cable on pricing doesn't solve anything...it's all about the programming costs that the cable companies are forced to pass on to the consumers. Look at TWC's 4th quarter loss due to programming costs.