Personal Democracy Forum 2008
Session: Profiles in Anti-Competition
Note by Mr. John Breyault:
-Adam Green, MoveOn.org-
Genesis of panel was in the 700 MHz debate - Green explained wonky stuff in layman's terms for MoveOn's members
Example: Scanning good in store w/cell-phone plugin to get company info
Such devices haven't been allowed by wireless carrier gatekeepers unless 50% cut
Here @ PDF - spread the anti-ISP gospel
-Amol Sarva PEAK, consumer mobile e-mail service - helped found Virgin Mobile, Wireless Founders Coalition-
Discusses how he helped found Virgin Mobile - found the niche for prepaid for young people
Testified on behalf of open wireless access in Senate Commerce
-Chris Libertelli, Skype-
The history of incumbents trying to keep out new entrants is long - Steinway pianos trying to keep out Edison's phonograph
Believe that incumbents are trying to keep out wireless competitors — led to Carterfone petition
Want Skype to be able to distribute their software on the wireless Internet as easily as they do on the wired side
Instead, lots of carrier control over what operates on their devices as well as legal requirements in terms of service that limit what can be attached to the devices
-Mary Hodder, Dabble, Napsterization-
Built a video search engine
Now about 1,200 companies where users can upload video
Companies terrified of Google - most online video companies won't allow Google to spider their videos
-Marvin Ammori-
Wireline profile
Best policy response may not be an FTC response but a broad legislative rule on net neutrality
"Tony Soprano business model" is what telco/cablecos wanted w/their tiered model
Telco/cableco could make this claim b/c of their political power and duopoly market power
Notes telco/cableco arguments against net neutrality law
Problems with this argument:
1) FTC has abandoned its competition protection role
Comcast example - Rob Topolski having trouble uploading barbershop quartet music via Gnutella on Comcast b/c of blocking. AP tests on King James Bible on bittorrent
-Q&A-
Q Isenberg: With wireless net neutrality, I could make calls on my cell phone for free, right?
A Libertelli: You'd have to pay for wireless Net access, but essentially yes.
Q Green: What should we do to ensure wireless net neutrality
A Libertelli: More spectrum coming up in AWS-3, and potential for DoD spectrum to be repurposed
A Ammori: White spaces has potential
Q Green: What are other devices that are being blocked
A Sarva: Slingbox being blocked by Verizon
A Hodder: Noting Slingbox, DMCA complaints. DemocracyPlayer - non-profit
A Sarva:
Q Green: What are the solutions for the little guys held down by the big guys
A Hodder: Don't have a solution
Q What is the status of getting SkypeIn number in Canada?
A Libertelli: In Canada, dealing with e911, universal access, etc. issues in Canadian regulation
Q What about openness initiatives at the carriers?
A Libertelli: Worried that the process for VZW's ODI certification will be too honerous, even though it's less hard than the old CLEC interconnection certification
A Ammori: Even with ODI, net neutrality legislation is still needed b/c we can't trust the phone companies to keep their words
A Libertelli: It's not the number of facilities-based providers, its the revenue - less interested in building new facilities in the 251 regime but want an openness rule that applies to the application layer
A Ammori: Even with sufficient competition, you still need net neutrality rules - cites success of international examples in implementing UNE rules to broadband networks
Q Stoller: Why did Silicon Valley not politicize in the 90's to defend the CLECs? At the state level, cable and telco relationships are very deep. How do you politicize Silicon Valley and overcome the fact that cable/telecom is very concentrated politically.
A Sarva: Telecoms and their supporters have been active in the political dialogue. Only Silicon Valley player was Google. Complains that Google didn't bid more heavily in the C Block auction and let VZ win the spectrum.
A Libertelli: Bells have local presences in almost every state. Silicon Valley and tech industry in general is in Calif and distributed internationally. When tech companies start playing political like
A Ammori: Non-profits like Free Press have to educate and organize the public to make them have a stake in your issue. Notes meeting between VC's organized by Fred Wilson w/Free Press DC lobbying team in NYC last year around net neutrality
Green: People should blog about this issue.
Ammori: Flogs for Free Press Action network and SaveTheInternet.com, InternetForEveryone.com - idea is to convene regional meetings to discuss this issue.
Genesis of panel was in the 700 MHz debate - Green explained wonky stuff in layman's terms for MoveOn's members
Example: Scanning good in store w/cell-phone plugin to get company info
Such devices haven't been allowed by wireless carrier gatekeepers unless 50% cut
Here @ PDF - spread the anti-ISP gospel
-Amol Sarva PEAK, consumer mobile e-mail service - helped found Virgin Mobile, Wireless Founders Coalition-
Discusses how he helped found Virgin Mobile - found the niche for prepaid for young people
Testified on behalf of open wireless access in Senate Commerce
-Chris Libertelli, Skype-
The history of incumbents trying to keep out new entrants is long - Steinway pianos trying to keep out Edison's phonograph
Believe that incumbents are trying to keep out wireless competitors — led to Carterfone petition
Want Skype to be able to distribute their software on the wireless Internet as easily as they do on the wired side
Instead, lots of carrier control over what operates on their devices as well as legal requirements in terms of service that limit what can be attached to the devices
-Mary Hodder, Dabble, Napsterization-
Built a video search engine
Now about 1,200 companies where users can upload video
Companies terrified of Google - most online video companies won't allow Google to spider their videos
-Marvin Ammori-
Wireline profile
Best policy response may not be an FTC response but a broad legislative rule on net neutrality
"Tony Soprano business model" is what telco/cablecos wanted w/their tiered model
Telco/cableco could make this claim b/c of their political power and duopoly market power
Notes telco/cableco arguments against net neutrality law
Problems with this argument:
1) FTC has abandoned its competition protection role
Comcast example - Rob Topolski having trouble uploading barbershop quartet music via Gnutella on Comcast b/c of blocking. AP tests on King James Bible on bittorrent
-Q&A-
Q Isenberg: With wireless net neutrality, I could make calls on my cell phone for free, right?
A Libertelli: You'd have to pay for wireless Net access, but essentially yes.
Q Green: What should we do to ensure wireless net neutrality
A Libertelli: More spectrum coming up in AWS-3, and potential for DoD spectrum to be repurposed
A Ammori: White spaces has potential
Q Green: What are other devices that are being blocked
A Sarva: Slingbox being blocked by Verizon
A Hodder: Noting Slingbox, DMCA complaints. DemocracyPlayer - non-profit
A Sarva:
Q Green: What are the solutions for the little guys held down by the big guys
A Hodder: Don't have a solution
Q What is the status of getting SkypeIn number in Canada?
A Libertelli: In Canada, dealing with e911, universal access, etc. issues in Canadian regulation
Q What about openness initiatives at the carriers?
A Libertelli: Worried that the process for VZW's ODI certification will be too honerous, even though it's less hard than the old CLEC interconnection certification
A Ammori: Even with ODI, net neutrality legislation is still needed b/c we can't trust the phone companies to keep their words
A Libertelli: It's not the number of facilities-based providers, its the revenue - less interested in building new facilities in the 251 regime but want an openness rule that applies to the application layer
A Ammori: Even with sufficient competition, you still need net neutrality rules - cites success of international examples in implementing UNE rules to broadband networks
Q Stoller: Why did Silicon Valley not politicize in the 90's to defend the CLECs? At the state level, cable and telco relationships are very deep. How do you politicize Silicon Valley and overcome the fact that cable/telecom is very concentrated politically.
A Sarva: Telecoms and their supporters have been active in the political dialogue. Only Silicon Valley player was Google. Complains that Google didn't bid more heavily in the C Block auction and let VZ win the spectrum.
A Libertelli: Bells have local presences in almost every state. Silicon Valley and tech industry in general is in Calif and distributed internationally. When tech companies start playing political like
A Ammori: Non-profits like Free Press have to educate and organize the public to make them have a stake in your issue. Notes meeting between VC's organized by Fred Wilson w/Free Press DC lobbying team in NYC last year around net neutrality
Green: People should blog about this issue.
Ammori: Flogs for Free Press Action network and SaveTheInternet.com, InternetForEveryone.com - idea is to convene regional meetings to discuss this issue.
