Quick thoughts re: Q – AT&T and IBOR (Internet Bill of Rights).
First, no AT&TFag here. Was a long time customer, played the your bill is going up (promo-rate expired) game, year after year for over a decade…until a couple of years back, when they wouldn't renigotate their ‘regular’ price plan…until it was too late, and I had already switched to a competitor. Than they tried every offer under the sun, but too late.
I read the link Q left:
http:// about.att.com/story/consumers_need_an_internet_bill_of_rights.html
This portion screams:
AT&T is committed to an open internet. We don’t block websites. We don’t censor online content. And we don’t throttle, discriminate, or degrade network performance based on content. Period.
A bit of Lawfag here, but also a student of political affairs in general. Though the above quote sounds great, and it may be an honest portrayal of company policy, keep this in mind:
Most, if not ALL, carriers have HAD to sign NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS with various intel agencies and have been caught (via insider leaks), for example, setting up separate rooms where the data is routed and stored for the alphabets without the public's knowledge.
So what I’m saying is this. They very well might not be ABLE to tell you WHY they cannot follow their own guidelines…without risking imprisonment and/or major fines.
What I will add is this, and just being on 8chan only adds to the point. I spent countless hours in places viewing material most likely deemed illegal in some fashion, and which I’m sure AT&T could have easily discovered if they ever looked into my usage, but nobody ever came knocking on my door. Then again, I’m also not important enough for the authorities to do that to – especially at the risk of having people find out the alphabets/NSA are secretly snooping.
I interpret this as Q/AT&T’s effort for us to push Congress and the President, to codify into law protection (with clear guidance and rules) for the major telecoms to operate in the fashion as described in their consumer release. In my opinion, they are advocating for an open internet, only without fear from any Government/Intelligence Agency for having done so. Sounds like a positive thing the way I interpret it.