The internet you know is about to change, in the near future it will be possible to surf the net at lightning speed using Cable lines, Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) or satellite dishes. With any of these connections, you will be able to do things that you never thought possible. Technology companies are envisioning innovative new uses for the internet: entertainment, business, communication and many more. All of these new uses make the internet very valuable to the company or companies that control the access.

Currently AT&T controls much of the cable lines in the United States and here lies one of the battles. AT&T wants to be able to control how you access the internet over the AT&T cable network. Under AT&T’s plan you would pay them a monthly fee to access the internet using Excite@Home, AT&T’s internet service. If you wanted to use any other internet service, you would have to pay extra, a policy which has many other companies and consumer groups up in arms.

Internet analysts are unsure which of the competing technologies Cable, DSL or Satellite will prove to be most popular, which is one of the problems facing politicians. Currently local governments around the nation are debating whether they should propose regulation forcing cable companies to give other internet providers access to the AT&T network at wholesale prices. The local governments of Seattle and Broward County, Florida have already told AT&T that cable lines must be open for all to use. San Francisco on the other hand has ruled that at this point AT&T do not have to open its network.

Internet companies like America Online want the government to force the cable industry to open their networks so that you could use any online provider over cable lines. This would benefit a subscriber to say America Online because they wouldn’t have to pay AT&T for internet access and then pay America Online if they wished to keep using America Online. Needless to say if cable becomes the most used way to access the internet then AT&T will become a very powerful force. But should the government step in and pass regulations controlling the internet?

Unfortunately, for America Online and many other service providers, the FCC should not step in at this time to regulate the cable industry. While the FCC should stand by and watch very closely it is most important that the cable industry spend money to develop the infrastructure for the next generation of the internet. With DSL, America Online and the other Internet providers have a great chance to counter the cable companies and in fact maybe beat them to the riches. DSL is a new type of phone line that allows you to surf the internet at incredible speeds and talk on the phone at the same time. DSL is already widely available while cable internet is available only in a few select localities. The FCC needs to make it clear, however, that there needs to be a national policy on this issue, it would make life horrible for all involved if each city or county across America had its own rules on this issue.

The internet is built on a tradition of non-regulation, in an industry that evolves at such a high rate, regulation can actually only hold back progress. The broadband market is still too uncertain to start passing regulation. Until it becomes clear that one technology is going to become dominant, the government should stay on the sidelines.

Does this mean we should give the cable industry a free hand? No. We need to closely monitor the situation and look for a good middle ground. If it becomes apparent that cable technology will be the future of the internet then we must look for ways to create competition in the broadband market. It is however too early to make that call and there are still too many variables left to play out. For example, it has been rumored that AT&T and America Online are in talks to give America Online users some sort of access to AT&T’s cable network. If it happens this deal may raise more calls for government intervention to make sure other internet companies don't lose their place in the new internet world. The best move at this point is no move but with all that’s at stake no move will make many people very unhappy and may not be the best move in a week, a month or a year.

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