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Broadband Stimulus Featured Article
September 09, 2009
FCC Workshop Comments on Broadband Consumer Context
By Paula Bernier, Executive Editor, IP Communications Magazines
Meinrath: U.S. Service Providers are Keeping Broadband Users in the Dark
Service providers in the U.S. are intentionally keeping consumers in the dark about their broadband options, said Sascha Meinrath, director of the Open Technology Initiative at the New America Foundation and a speaker at today’s FCC (News - Alert) workshop titled Broadband Consumer Context.
“Imagine if every gas station in the country didn’t have a sign about what it cost and what the octane on it was and you were told ‘Look, just start pumping gas and we’ll tell you what you’re going to pay for that gas and we’ll tell you what your octane is post-op,’” said Meinrath. “That’s kind of the environment we’re in with broadband connectivity.”
In Europe, he added, broadband providers provide information on things such as contention. And consumers in the U.S. should be provided with a source to which they can go to get information about what providers offer broadband in their locations, at what price(s) and with what uptimes, guarantees and contention ratios. “And these are mandates that would just be excruciatingly easy to implement,” he said. “Maybe unpopular, but easy to implement.”
“You can’t make an informed decision on what your broadband service options are if you don’t have access to that information,” he added.
Continued Meinrath: “This has been an entirely thought out, systematic effort to keep us all in the dark about that information.”
In Europe, he added, broadband providers provide information on things such as contention. And consumers in the U.S. should be provided with a source to which they can go to get information about what providers offer broadband in their locations, at what price(s) and with what uptimes, guarantees and contention ratios. “And these are mandates that would just be excruciatingly easy to implement,” he said. “Maybe unpopular, but easy to implement.”
“You can’t make an informed decision on what your broadband service options are if you don’t have access to that information,” he added.
Continued Meinrath: “This has been an entirely thought out, systematic effort to keep us all in the dark about that information.”
Consumers Union’s Kelsey: Congress Needs to Address Online Security
Cybercrime resulted in $8 billion in losses this year and tens of thousands of online databases have been hacked, according to Joel Kelsey, policy analyst with Consumers Union.
Given the recession and rising unemployment, online fraud appears likely to continue and expand, added Kelsey, who was among the speakers during the FCC National Broadband Plan workshop on Broadband Consumer Context today.
To protect consumers from cybercrime, he added, those consumers have to accept some responsibility, he continued, but the government and online businesses also bear some responsibility.
Kelsey suggested that Congress ought to set at least baseline measures to secure online data and set requirements that companies need to alert users should there be a breach of online databases containing user information.
Given the recession and rising unemployment, online fraud appears likely to continue and expand, added Kelsey, who was among the speakers during the FCC National Broadband Plan workshop on Broadband Consumer Context today.
To protect consumers from cybercrime, he added, those consumers have to accept some responsibility, he continued, but the government and online businesses also bear some responsibility.
Kelsey suggested that Congress ought to set at least baseline measures to secure online data and set requirements that companies need to alert users should there be a breach of online databases containing user information.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
