Title: Do we really need the Internet? | InfoWorld
Headings: Do we really need the Internet?
The Deep End
Do we really need the Internet?
One FCC commissioner appears to think that we don't, but perhaps he doesn't understand the question

Content: Do we really need the Internet? | InfoWorld





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By Paul Venezia, Senior Contributing Editor, InfoWorld | Jul 6, 2015 3:00 am PDT
Do we really need the Internet? One FCC commissioner appears to think that we don't, but perhaps he doesn't understand the question
Reuters/Stringer Shanghai
On June 25, 2015, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly caused a bit of a kerfuffle with his remarks to the Internet Innovation Alliance. The speech was titled “What is the Appropriate Role for Regulators in an Expanding Broadband Economy?” It contained five key points that every regulator in every country should adhere to when considering legislation or regulation regarding the Internet: The Internet cannot be stopped
Understand how the Internet economy works
Follow the law; don’t make it up
Internet access is not a necessity or basic human right
The benefits of regulation must outweigh the burdens
The first three points are useful, even obvious. I suppose we can't assume the officials charged with regulating the Internet would think that it could or should be stopped, though the deficiencies of certain legislators and regulators never fail to disappoint. [ Also on InfoWorld: How to roll your own VPN, the open source, low-cost way.