Did Internet Founders Actually Anticipate Paid, Prioritized Traffic?

Sat Sep 18 07:25:04 UTC 2010

Michael Sokolov wrote:
> Leo Bicknell <bicknell at ufp.org> wrote:
>
>> There really isn't a lot of choice, 2 providers, and some minor choice
>> in how much speed you want to pay for with each one.
>
> Does that mean no CLECs like Covad or DSL.net who colocate in the AT&T
> CO, rent unbundled dry copper pairs and take it up from there themselves?
>
> Does that mean no ISPs who buy/rent last+middle mile transport from AT&T
> ADSL network at Layer 2 (ATM) and provide their own IP layer?
>
> MS

There used to be an abundance of small ISPs, but the FCC changed all that in 2005 when they eliminated "Line Sharing".

"The Federal Communications Commission on Friday voted to reclassify DSL broadband service, thus freeing phone companies 
of regulations that require them to share their infrastructure with Internet service providers.
DSL will now be considered an "information service" instead of a "telecommunications service," a distinction that puts DSL 
in line with the classification of cable modem services. The change in semantics was expected after the U.S. Supreme 
Court's ruling in the Brand X case just five weeks ago. The court's decision upheld the FCC's classification of cable 
modem service as an information service.
Now the phone companies and the cable companies are exempt from "common carrier" rules that require them to share their 
infrastructure with Internet service providers."

http://news.cnet.com/FCC-changes-DSL-classification/2100-1034_3-5820713.html 