Internet Access
The End of Telecommunications? An Epilogue to Tangled Web: The Internet and Broadband Open Access Policy
An Epilogue to Tangled Web: The Internet and Broadband Open Access Policy / Research Report
Trevor R. Roycroft, Ph.D., J. Warren McClure School, Ohio University
July 2002
Broadband technology, which provides an always-on, high-speed connection to the Internet, represents the next step in the evolution of the Internet. However, the ability of broadband Internet access network owners to exercise control over Internet content and stifle competition in the Internet service marketplace threatens the future promise of the Internet. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Trevor R. Roycroft, Ph.D., of Ohio University's J. Warren McClure School updates significant developments in broadband open access policy that have occurred since the 2001 publication of The Tangled Web. More specifically, the report assesses recent technological and market changes, examines the overlapping set of rulings and rulemakings that are currently underway at the FCC, and provides policy options for sustaining competition in the market for Internet access services. (29 pages)
Pub ID: 2002-10