[icernet] Internet ownership the next frontier

[Arul Selvan]

Internet could go to the big media fish, moving away from its initial 
democratic focus, reports PCWorld.com. Media ownership in the offline world 
has got more concentrated after the recent FCC ruling. The next frontier for
media congloms is the Internet; Mark Cooper, research director at the
Consumer Federation of America, feels that the Internet is "passing through
a monopoly gateway into a walled garden." Cooper feels that ISPs will move
from a sans-barrier Internet world to one where access is provided
exclusively to its content. FCC's recent ruling recategorized broadband
Internet access from a broadband service to an information service. 

The Internet could model itself on cable TV providing access to channels 
according to different price plans. Non-profit interests and start-ups would 
not feature in the new controlled-access Internet world. Brian Dietz, a 
spokesperson for the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, says 
that the cable companies present stance is one of unfettered access to
online content. In terms of protecting the First Amendment, there are two
schools of thought, one believes that the technology breeds democracy and
the other that the Internet is like any other media, it can be controlled.

Source:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,111154,00.asp