Net Neutrality Eff-austin.org June 1, 2006

Net Neutrality Forum
June 1st 6-8pm
in the back room at La Madeleine (http://www.lamadeleine.com)
3418 N. Lamar, Austin 78705
(*35th & Lamar*)
Our guest speakers will be W.Scott McCollough and Wayne Caswell
Austin attonney W. Scott McCollough will address issues of "net neutrality" and related concerns, such as
communications policy, market power, market consolidation and the increasingly close relationship between the
large physical layer provider oligopolies and the government, with particular emphasis on surveillance and
privacy.
Technologist Wayne Caswell will summarize the points of Bruce Kushnick's new e-book, "The $200 Billion Broadband
Scandal." He will discuss the argument AGAINST Net Neutrality, "must carry" PEG channels, and bans on red lining.
He then plans to examine the objectives of consumers and other stakeholders, and discuss creative ways to meet as
many of these as possible. Possible solutions include legislation that allows (and encourages) public ownership
of broadband infrastructure as an option for municipalities.
Press Release:
June 1 Meeting Covers Critical Internet Issue of Network Neutrality
EFF-Austin announces an important discussion to be held Thursday, June 1, 2006 at La Madeleine, 3418 N Lamar
Blvd, Austin, 78705. The subject of discussion is network neutrality. While we're all finding new and clever
Web.20ish ways to load our broadband pipes, there's an increasing danger that the open architecture that made the
Internet accessible and cheap will go away, replaced by tiered network services operated by Ma Bell. That's
right: the telephone monopoly that was supposedly destroyed by a trust-busting agreement in 1982-84 is pulling
itself together as the new AT&T, and it's intent on replacing the Internet with a tiered broadband service with
increased costs for services, paid by content providers as well as users. This could increase barriers to entry,
stifle innovation, and replace the many-to-many Internet with a one-way cable television analogue. Many Internet
advocates seek legislation to preserve the concept of network neutrality, "that packet data networks such as the
Internet access as common carriage should be just like traditional railroads and telephone networks. According to
this view, the Internet transport and service system, having received valuable public right of way should not be
allowed to be privately owned without open access so that owners could provide services that they own on
favorable terms and thus unfairly compete with third-party services."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality)
Contact:
Jon Lebkowsky - jonl@polycot.com
Silona Bonewald - silona@leagueoftechvoters.org
EFF-Austin - info@effaustin.org
EFF-Austin has monthly meetings on the first Thursday of the month at La Madeleine.
We will be recording these meetings for possible podcasting. Please be aware that if you participate in these
public forums, your comments may be placed online for posterity.

Official Website: http://www.eff-austin.org