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As three of the wealthiest companies on the planet how could Google, Amazon, and Apple not save net neutrality?
The answer to this question reminds of a joke. “How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?” It doesn't matter how many, the light has to want to change.
Any company can make public statements in favor of Net Neutrality. But how much do they really want it to change? Corporations are careful in taking any stance today that could impact them in the future.
Many people look at net neutrality as a battle between good and evil, there are battlelines drawn, the ISPs are evil, the content providers are good. But is really that simple?
Here's something to ponder, what do the ISPs like Comcast and Verizon have in common with the content providers like Google or Amazon?
What would be the goal of the wealthiest companies on the planet?
They are businesses with the goal of making money.
What about Google?
So let's step back for a minute and look at Google and see where they fit into this. If this is a battle between good and evil, then Google must be good, because they are a content provider, right? So Google wants to “save net neutrality,” right?
Google has played around with the idea of becoming an ISP. Ever hear of Google Fiber? Although Google Fiber has not taken off the way they hoped, the service operates in 10 metro areas in the United States.
Google may decide that becoming an ISP is too expensive. But Google has the cash to buy things, like existing ISPs.
https://www.recode.net/2016/6/22/12009040/google-fiber-buys-webpass-high-speed-city-internet
https://fiber.google.com/about/
https://www.theringer.com/2017/7/21/16077992/google-fiber-struggles-7d2bb5399a12
Where does Amazon fit in?
Amazon is a content provider, so they are good, and they should support net neutrality, right?
But what if Amazon becomes an ISP? Then what? Amazon becoming an ISP is not such a far fetched idea.
Amazon is reportedly considering offering home Internet service in Europe. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/10/amazon-might-become-isp-in-europe-but-laws-make-us-launch-unlikely/
https://www.wired.com/2016/10/amazon-isp-makes-perfect-sense/
The evil Comcast!
Is Comcast simply evil because they are an ISP?
Comcast can play both sides of the fence, they are one of the largest internet service providers, and as the owner of many television networks and movie studios they are a content privider.
But Comcast owns Universal Studios, that is cool, isn't it? You know, Universal Studios that has those cool theme parks in Florida and California, the same Universal Studios studios that brings us movies like the Minions and the Dispicable Me series that we watch with out families. Don't forget all the television shows we watch from the NBC Universal family of networks.
http://guru42.org/blog/comcast-keeps-getting-bigger-and-wants-dominate-your-world
If you think the net neutrality battle is only between ISPs and content providers, you might want to read this:
Telco ISPs are using a fight between Amazon and Google over their respective platforms to suggest edge players are engaging in the sort of content blocking ISPs have been accused of in the net neutrality rule debate.
So are the battlelines over saving net neutrality as clear as good versus evil?
Should congress pass a net neutrality law?
RE:» “ISPs have proven in the past they can not be trusted with ANTI trust lawsuits alone.” » I would argue that the US government can not be trusted with antitrust laws. Seriously, how did the US government let Comcast get so big is so many areas of entertainment and telecommunications.
The Guru 42 Universe is not run by a university professor with a team of editors and advisers working to developing a website. Tom Peracchio is simply someone who loves technology and history and is amazed by how little people know about the great minds in the world of technology.
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