IP: NYT Digital Commerce: Convergence Raises Concerns About Access

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

>http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/01/biztech/articles/31digi.html
>
>January 31, 2000
>
>
>DIGITAL COMMERCE
>
>Convergence Raises Concerns About Access
>
>By DENISE CARUSO
>
>The huge potential power of the proposed AOL Time Warner has applied
>electroshock to the cortex of the convergence industries of information,
>entertainment and communication. One of the biggest jolts is being felt in
>the growing market for high-speed, or broadband, Internet services.
>
>Combining the world's largest Internet service provider with the world's
>largest news, entertainment and cable television megalith has set off
>increasingly urgent discussions about the future of broadband and how best
>to ensure that no single company abuses its control of the Internet's
>infrastructure.
>
>The reasons for urgency are twofold. First is the issue of how to open
>privately owned broadband Internet access to all comers. In addition, the
>free-speech issue arises when any single entity, of any size, controls both
>a transmission medium and the information that flows over it.
>
>Open access is a particular concern. Premerger America Online was in the
>midst of strident lobbying to shame AT&T Corp., which had recently acquired
>the cable giant Tele-Communications, into opening its cable network t>o
>America Online's (or anyone's) customers.

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