Sponsored data is an interesting subject. I think it makes sense for a telecommunications provider to not favor its own content over competing content (such as a CATV blocking telephone services that compete with that offered by the CATV). But, I see a parallel between "sponsored data" and
800 numbers over POTS. How is sponsored data different from 800 service (or collect phone calls for that matter)? Should 800 numbers be outlawed? Is it possible to have sponsored data rules that are fair and not anti-competitive?
By the way, you an hear the recent appeals court oral arguments on net neutrality at:
and
While I really think ISPs are telecommunications services, an interesting argument is made regarding the statutes on common carriers. To be a common carrier, a communications service needs to connect to "the public switched network." From what I understand listening to the oral arguments, the FCC determined that the PSTN and the Internet are "the public switched network." Yet a person with a POTS phone can't call an IP address. Are they "the public switched network?"
Harold