Telecom lobbyists in California have lost a case to attack net neutrality law SB 822, considered the strongest such law in the U.S.
The California net neutrality law is now clearly enforceable, and bars telecom companies from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization, abusing their gatekeeper power in interconnection, or engaging in “zero rating” scams. The court’s decision also clearly paves the way for other states to impose their own net neutrality protections.
The FCC will force ISPs to disclose broadband “nutrition labels” to give information on prices, introductory rates, data allowances, broadband speeds, and management practices.
The law directs the Commission “to promulgate regulations to require the display of broadband consumer labels, as described in the Public Notice of the Commission issued on April 4, 2016 (DA 16–357), to disclose to consumers information regarding broadband Internet access service plans.” Id. See also Consumer and Governmental Affairs, Wireline Competition, and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus Approve Open Internet Broadband Consumer Labels, GN Docket No. 14-28, Public Notice, 31 FCC Rcd 3358 (CGB/WCB/WTB 2016) (2016 Public Notice).
Last week the FCC start a reimbursement program to replace equipment from Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.
ISPs are demanding more money for use of their networks because Netflix show Squid Game is too popular.
Netflow data refers to IP network traffic that can be collected as it enters or exits an interface. Using this aggregate data, it’s possible to trace network traffic even if a person uses a VPN. Internet service providers sell this information to third parties.
At a high level, netflow data creates a picture of traffic flow and volume across a network. It can show which server communicated with another, information that may ordinarily only be available to the server owner or the ISP carrying the traffic. Crucially, this data can be used for, among other things, tracking traffic through virtual private networks, which are used to mask where someone is connecting to a server from, and by extension, their approximate physical location.
Cloudflare recently released a tool called Is BGP Safe Yet. It lets people check whether their ISP has security protections against BGP hijacking.
Those improvements are most effective with wide adoption from ISPs, content delivery networks like Cloudflare, and other cloud providers. Cloudflare estimates that so far about half of the internet is more protected thanks to heavy hitters like AT&T, the Swedish telecom Telia, and the Japanese telecom NTT adopting BGP improvements. And while Cloudflare says it doesn’t seem like the Rostelecom incident was intentional or malicious, Russian telecoms do have a history of suspicious BGP meddling, and similar problems will keep cropping up until the whole industry is on board.
Neither my ISP nor my VPN provider are safe against hijacks.
Internet providers have successfully persuaded the FCC to remove unfavorable data that shows their advertised speeds are typically higher than their actual speeds.
Internet experts and former FCC officials said the setup gives the internet companies enormous leverage. “How can you go to the party who controls the information and say, ‘please give me information that may implicate you?’ ” said Tom Wheeler, a former FCC chairman who stepped down in January 2017.
Jim Warner, a retired network engineer who has helped advise the agency on the test for years, told the FCC in 2015 that the rules for providers were too lax. “It’s not much of a code of conduct,” Mr. Warner said.
So it seems these companies regularly lie about their internet speeds. Shocking, I know.
Paul Bischoff gives us a breakdown of the top 25 lobbying spenders in 2018, and how much they spent.
2018 was the biggest year yet for ISP lobbying at $80 million. Top spenders include AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast, which have amassed lobbying expenses of $341 million, $265 million, and $200 million, respectively since 1998.
Russia prepares for cyber war with an internet disconnect test. Russia will temporarily disconnect itself from the internet.
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet talk about the end of net neutrality protection in the United States.
