The Interview

So I was finally able to interview Declan McCullagh today. I had several questions that I wanted to have him answer and give his insight on. The interview in my eyes was a success. It gave me an insight on what truly goes on and how things operate. I asked him why isn't this Net Neutrality thing a bigger issue or even bigger in the media considering the things being proposed. The survey I conducted showed less than 20% knew what I was talking about. His answer was very simple really. The reason why there isn't much media attention is because people are going to report Net Neutrality when there is a violation that has occurred. For instance, he referenced the Comcast issue that happened several years ago. I guess he has a point because not every single detail is discussed in the news only those that would sell copies or get a reaction.

The next question that I had for Mr. McCullagh, was what does the FCC actually vote on. I understood the proposal and what the Chairman wanted to do but I didn't really understand what do they do during this process. I wanted to get an insight on what happens. He told me it's the same voting style as any other vote and such. From what I gathered in his opinion this is a done deal. There isn't really anything to vote on. They are having this vote just to make it final.

The last question I asked him was why are there now going to be different regulations for Wireless vs. Wired. Is it just the same thing? They both provide internet access? He explained that there are different infrastructures for both situations. Obviously, fiber optic cables that are wired are going to be able to provide more access. Wireless is limited because cell phone towers can not be propped up every where the telecommunication companies pleases. If they were able to just prop up cell towers where-ever than we wouldn't be having this problem. The only problem is that now people are going to have to pay more for the usage that they amount on their iPhone and other smart-phones. The proposal states that the providers can't block or restrict access to web content.

I thank Mr. Declan McCullagh for answering the questions I had about Net Neutrality. It gave me a better idea of the situation at hand.