It’s the essay, ese

Yesterday’s mail brought an important message from David Isenberg posted here on his blog. This is some really meaty information and deserves a thorough read before comment. When you get there skim down the through the prefatory matter, pause to relish the anecdote about the sailing captain who “got” steam so well that he mounted a steam engine on deck to haul up the anchors, and then dive straight into the essay, ese: “CREATING SUSTAINABLE NETWORK NEUTRALITY.”

Executive Summary: Network Neutrality as currently conceived requires changes in carrier behavior that are contrary to their corporate culture and business model, so we can expect their active opposition even after Network Neutrality becomes law.
If carrier resistance prevails, the Internet stands to lose its key success factor. The Network Neutrality movement can learn from history; the demise of Unbundled Network Elements (UNEs) and the ensuing collapse of telephone and Internet competition provides an parallel. The solution is strategy that is more ambitious and more patient, that addresses industry structure rather than carrier
behavior.

Let’s keep this one on the front burner for a while. There’s a lot to consider in it. The first question that popped into my mind was: Will this be managed like the unbundling of the electric power industry, with transmission companies driving for-profit construction projects that pump up their own profits to the detriment of the community and the market? There’s a lot to think about in this essay. I’d better read it a few times before offering any more offhanded comments.