FCC eyes tax on Internet service By Brendan Sasso - 08/26/12 06:00 AM ET
The Federal Communications Commission is eyeing a proposal to tax broadband Internet service.
The move would funnel money to the Connect America Fund, a subsidy the agency created last year to expand Internet access.
The FCC issued a request for comments on the proposal in April. Dozens of companies and trade associations have weighed in, but the issue has largely flown under the public's radar.
"If members of Congress understood that the FCC is contemplating a broadband tax, they'd sit up and take notice," said Derek Turner, research director for Free Press, a consumer advocacy group that opposes the tax.
Numerous companies, including AT&T, Sprint and even Google have expressed support for the idea.
Consumers already pay a fee on their landline and cellular phone bills to support the FCC's Universal Service Fund. The fund was created to ensure that everyone in the country has access to telephone service, even if they live in remote areas.
Last year, the FCC overhauled a $4.5 billion portion of the Universal Service Fund and converted it into a broadband Internet subsidy, called the Connect America Fund. The new fund aims to subsidize the construction of high-speed Internet networks to the estimated 19 million Americans who currently lack access.
Julius Genachowski, the FCC's chairman, has made expanding broadband access his top priority. He argues that a high-speed Internet connection is critical for succeeding in the 21st century economy and that expanding Internet access is the country's next great infrastructure challenge.
But the money for the new Internet subsidy is still coming from the fees on phone bills.
And in recent years, with more people sending emails instead of making long-distance phone calls, the money flowing into the program has begun to dry up. The Universal Service fee has had to grow to a larger and larger portion of phone bills to compensate.
The FCC floated a number of ideas for reforming the fund's contribution system. In addition to the broadband fee, the commission also sought comments on taxing text messages, as well as levying a flat fee on each phone line, instead of the current system, which is based on a portion of the revenue from interstate phone calls. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/245479-fcc-eyes-tax-on-internet-service
the tax will then be able to have MULTIPLE regulations/laws that would be able to be prosecuted/tried in the court system...
participation via the tax would automatically indicate the acceptance of all the RULES/REGULATIONS/STANDARDS/PROCEDURES etc that would extend under this tax law.....
IE: motor voter real ID drivers license medical card.......
anyone feel boxed in/closed in yet?????
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
FCC=Un-american..... The FCC is a great example of what's wrong with our government. An un-elected board of a-holes who have complete autonomy to control our "free" speech. Who ever tells you that you are free is your enemy!!!
FCC=Un-american..... The FCC is a great example of what's wrong with our government. An un-elected board of a-holes who have complete autonomy to control our "free" speech. Who ever tells you that you are free is your enemy!!!
The FCC are the ones that took control of all airwaves, giving corporations control over 98% of them leaving 2% for public use.
They further restricted public use to a few watts maximum.
Can we really be surprised?? After all, denying internet access to all is mean spirited, bigoted, homophobic, et al.... Internet access is a right...just like Health care
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
Can we really be surprised?? After all, denying internet access to all is mean spirited, bigoted, homophobic, et al.... Internet access is a right...just like Health care
every time you make a post like that I remember that your screen name is meant as a joke...
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
every time you make a post like that I remember that your screen name is meant as a joke...
If you looked deeper at the issue, you would realize that denying internet access is anti change and anti free exchange of ideas and solutions.
Denying internet access is similar to voter restrictions. Limiting access would favor keeping things the way they have always been. Open access allows everyone to become more informed on the issues and allows them to make better decisions. In the past the media, and those in power, often set, or at least limited, the terms of debate in our world, the Internet now allows any idea whose time has come to spread like wildfire without any censorship from above. Pirate radio stations continually harassed by the powers that be are a thing of the past, as anyone can now set up a podcast or a blog and reach not just a local, but a worldwide audience. And you can set up your own website to promote any interest which matches your passion. It's incredibly easy and free these days.
Free access allows you to start your own petitions online and reach thousands of readers.
You can make free, professional-looking websites at many free websites.
You can work together with like minded people to get changes made.
Posting inspiring articles on how the Internet makes big changes in our world..
Those who know how to check and verify information using reliable sources can now quickly and easily carry out legitimate research to expose greed and corruption. This has forced unwanted transparency onto politicians and government in a way that empowers us all. Even intelligence agents around the world are realizing how they have been manipulated by the powers that be, and many are now secretly working to expose all the craziness.
So yes, limiting access is homophobic, bigoted, anti choice and mean spirited.
Logged
mmunisim
