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Major League Baseball Bashes FCC’s “Fast Lane” Internet Proposal

Recently, Geek Insider discussed the reason why everyone should be saying ‘yes’ to net neutrality. Now, another company has come forward publicly to denounce the Federal Communications Commission’s proposal to allow internet service providers (Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner) to offer different speeds at a price for different online services.

Geek insider, geekinsider, geekinsider. Com,, major league baseball bashes fcc’s “fast lane” internet proposal, news

A Major Contender Against Internet Fast Lanes

The Major League Baseball (MLB) has stepped up to the plate on this issue, writing a letter to the FCC last week arguing against this new proposal. In the letter, the MLB “urges[s] the Commission to prohibit Broadband ISPs from charging Internet content distributors (“Edge Providers”) for faster or otherwise preferential delivery of content to American consumers” because the group believes the proposal would do more harm than good for both consumers and upstart businesses.

 What Is The MLB’s Interest In This?

The MLB’s view on this issue centers around how much streaming it does. The group claims to be “the nation’s largest distributor of live event video on broadband networks” and handles live streaming of its games, as well as more than 25,000 live events.  In this, it joins Netflix, which argued in a letter sent to the FCC, that “no rules would be better than rules legalizing discrimination on the internet.” Netflix goes on to point out that with the “fast lane” internet plan, consumers (like you) will get “less choice and diversity in edge provider services (at higher cost) while receiving poorer service from their ISP.”

More than 100 other technology companies like Amazon, Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Microsoft; have written to the FCC to oppose this new proposal.

 What Does The MLB Say?

“Fast lanes would serve only one purpose: for Broadband ISPs to receive an economic windfall.” The letter from the MLB furthers explains. “American consumers would be worse off as the costs of fast lanes are passed along to them in new fees or charges where there were none, or higher fees or charges where they existed.”

In response to the FCC’s stance that allowing ISPs to charge extra for fast lanes would benefit the “broadband infrastructure” by encouraging ISPs to invest is “unsupported by the facts.”

“They already have ample capital to invest in their systems.” The MLB states. “There can be no assurance that any fast lane revenue would be invested to improve or expand broadband service.”

The MLB was one of many groups, individuals, and companies that submitted comments during the FCC’s 60-day period for the public to respond to its controversial “fast track” proposal.

What Does Geek Insider Think About “Fast Lanes”?

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