Net Neutrality Dealt Blow (Again)

Posted on January 15, 2014 by bvanrysdam

Your Internet experience could be very different after the most recent ruling on the issue of net neutrality. As CultureMap Houston reported back in 2010, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled against the Federal Communications Commission’s attempt to keep the flow of information on an equal access basis. The Federal Communications Commission had attempted to impose penalties based on Net neutrality principles and not regulations.

After that ruling the Federal Communications Commission went back and drew up regulations to address this issue, but those have also been shot down by the same court. They determined that companies that provide broadband services are not required to offer equal access to Internet content.

The ruling was based on a 2005 US Supreme Court decision that broadband services are not to be classified as telecommunications services and its infrastructure is not considered a public right of way.

So what does this mean to the average person? For one, this opens the door for broadband companies like Verizon, AT&T and others to charge access fees to Internet content providers like Google, Netflix and even CultureMap. They could also offer priority access through their networks, ensuring companies that provide streaming services don’t buffer when network congestion is like traffic on the west loop during rush hour.

All this will create additional expenses to those companies which will no doubt be passed along to you, the consumer. And it also opens the door to broadband providers blocking sites that refuse to pay the fees. Without regulation, you could wind up not being able to access sites because they don’t have an agreement with your Internet provider. (Much like the on-going fight over carriage fees between CSN Houston and cable providers.)

So do we rely on the government to create new laws to address Net Neutrality, or do we let the free market play out and let the chips fall where they may?

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Thomas Wheeler said in a statement that the commission “will consider all available options, including those for appeal, to ensure that these networks on which the Internet depends continue to provide a free and open platform for innovation and expression.” But, much like Don Quixote, the chairman may be tilting at windmills.

Is It Hot In Here?

Posted on January 6, 2014 by bvanrysdam

This year’s Super Bowl to be held in New Jersey could be the coldest on record. (Super Bowl VI which was played at Tulane Stadium was 39 degrees at kick-off). Swedish retailer H&M is hoping to heat things up with a 30 second commercial that not only features super hunk and former soccer player David Beckham without a shirt, but will also allow some viewers to purchase items from the David Beckham Bodywear collection directly from the TV.

Say hello to “t-commerce”, a new technology that takes advantage of smart TV’s. Delivery Agent, a company that creates and develops apps has come up with one that will allow you to make purchases through a Shop TV shopping platform. Currently, only viewers watching the ads on a Samsung Smart TV will be able to take advantage, but expect the technology to extend to other Smart TV models soon.

In case you’re worried about your buddy interrupting the game to buy some boxers; don’t be. A small part of the screen will present a pop-up menu while the ad runs on the larger part of the screen which will, offer product information, the ability to send that info to another device as well as the option to buy the product directly. And, if the game gets boring, the ad will still be interactive and available for purchase to consumers who rewind back to it using their DVRs.

To make sure everyone knows to take their bathroom breaks during the game and not when the commercials are on, Beckham will make his first appearance at the new Times Square H&M location (where the in-store music is louder than a Seattle Seahawks home game) to get you pumped up for what is sure to be another epic night of advertising and football.

Taking Risks

Posted on January 3, 2014 by bvanrysdam

It used to be that the United States of America was the land of big ideas. “We choose to go the moon” challenged us as a nation to leave the bounds of earth and set foot on the lunar surface. Today, America has embraced the slogan “just say no” (tip of the hat to the Republican favorite, Ronald Reagan). We don’t want big government, debt or high taxes.

One of our biggest leaps of faith occurred when the U.S. purchased more than 800,000 square miles from the nation of France. The treaty, commonly known as the Louisiana Purchase, more than doubled the size of the US. Many have claimed this was President Jefferson’s great accomplishment (although many Native Americans may disagree).

It may be hard to imagine today, but not everyone was in love with the treaty when it was being ratified. It was argued by some that Jefferson was a hypocrite owing that he was supposedly a strict constructionist in his views on the Constitution, yet looked the other way in conducting the largest real estate deal.

Others worried “foreigners” who came along with the purchase, were unacquainted with democracy and could become citizens, or that the purchase would be a job killer for the people of the northeast. (Makes the old saying “the more things change, the more they stay the same” even more apropos doesn’t it.)

The House called for a vote to deny the request for the purchase, but it failed by two votes, 59–57. The U.S. ended up using $3 million in gold as a down payment, issued bonds for the balance and the rest as they say, is history.

210 years later, it would be difficult to imagine an America that stopped at the Mississippi river. There would have been no California gold rush, Manifest Destiny and no Alamo to remember; which brings us to today.

Just imagine for a moment a country like Mexico or Canada was up for purchase. How would todays Washington handle such an enormous decision? Would there be screaming matches on cable news outlets about government over-reach? Blogs expressing fear of tax increases and rising debt? Tweets about the concerns on what to do with all the people already living there? Looking back, the Louisiana Purchase seems like a no-brainer, but putting on the glasses of today makes one pause and wonder if America has the mettle to take such a gamble again.

Anthony Walton once said “America’s greatest strength, and its greatest weakness, is our belief in second chances, our belief that we can always start over that things can be made better.” Think about how we love to tear down a celebrity or athlete only to cheer them again when they make a comeback (Morton Downy Jr. or Ray Lewis anyone?). Maybe it is a character fault, but taking chances is what made us who we are in the first place.

At the risk of stealing from Dr. Martin Luther King; “where do we go from here?” Do we continue to say no to big ideas and not look ahead? Granted, looking at some of our elected officials, that could be the best choice when all is said and done.