Fergie's Tech Blog

Toll Lanes Ahead for Internet Traffic?

Caron Carlson writes on eWeek:

Collier County, which is tucked in the southwest tip of hurricane-prone Florida, reaches deep into the Internet for its taxpaying customers: culling weather data to prepare for the frequent storms, Googling for tech support, even comparison-shopping for the best deal as county officials buy fleets of cars.

But those efforts could become cost-prohibitive if network operators—namely, the Bell telephone companies and cable companies that serve as ISPs—begin charging fees for sending traffic in addition to the traditional fees charged to access the Internet. Such a pricing scheme would effectively create a toll lane for content and application providers willing to pay a premium, allowing ISPs to prioritize traffic as they choose.

Network operators got a step closer April 26, when a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that would support such a pricing plan. However, there still are several hurdles to clear before the full House, which entered the debate earlier this year, votes on the measure in early May.

posted by Fergie @ 5/01/2006 07:06:00 AM