Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales Not Taking Stand on Net Neutrality

Jimmy Wales' Open Internet Problem
by Art Brodsky
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/3132

Apathy of big Internet companies like Google towards open Internet is the key point of this article. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales'response in interview is indicative of this apathy: Asked - Does the Internet's contribution to a new governance structure rest on "everyone having access to broadband and to a non-discriminatory Internet." Wales' response - “I have no idea. I build web sites.” Wales appeared unsure as to whether or not he favored net neutrality.

• Wikipedia would directly suffer if net neutrality not preserved, ie if telephone and cable companies impose service fees to make sure that Wikipedia pages load properly and multimedia content is not slowed down. These obstacles would deter users from contributing to Wikipedia.
• FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s plan needs public and corporate support to ensure that Internet remains open. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn is a major supporter of this plan.
• Writer Jason Rosenbaum notes that (like Wales) many companies, whose livelihood depends on Internet services, are not taking a stand on net neutrality. They need to hire lobbyists to inform Congress of importance of open Internet. Need television ads and online advertising for this cause. Need to spend some money to promote it. AT&T spent $ 6 million in first quarter of this year alone for lobbyists vs. Google spent $ 4 million in all of last year, and this was more than any other Internet company. Content providers need to take a stronger stand before Congress and FCC to protect net neutrality.

My Comments:

Surprised that Internet companies not taking a stronger position on issue of net neutrality. I would think they would, if not for any other reason than their own preservation. Broadband companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast wield a lot of power. Can't forget that the DC Court of Appeals overturned FCC decision to punish Comcast for blocking P2P applications. http://www.hlrecord.org/opinion/comcast-decision-threatens-net-neutrality-fairness-to-consumers-1.1373263#5 This leaves FCC in precarious position of not being able to regulate the broadband ISPs and opens the door for ISPs to abuse consumer use of Internet by blocking certain web applications.

Giving FCC regulatory powers over ISP seems essential to protect an open Internet. It's even been noted that Julius Genachowski's plan may not go far enough.

Comparison of money spent by AT&T vs. Google for lobbying is shocking. Wales' apathy also shocking. I'm not a big fan of Wikipedia, but that's not the point. My freedom to contribute to Wikipedia if I want to is the point.