The Ed Whitacre (AT&T CEO) Network Neutrality Flip-Flop.

Two great quotes by AT&T's, Ed Whitacre, the first demonstrating the incredible greed of a corporation run amock, the second (just a few months later) demonstrating a huge backtrack after massive public outcry demanding network neutrality:

"How do you think they're going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them. We have them. Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there's going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they're using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?"
-- AT&T CEO Edward Whitacre 11/07/05

"Any provider that blocks access to content is inviting customers to find another provider. And that's just bad business."
-- AT&T CEO Edward Whitacre 3/21/06

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So what's going on? Mainly, AT&T and other telecom incumbents are attempting to lull everyone into a false sense of security. They're extremely worried that the network neutrality so fundamental to the Internet will be protected legally. Don't be fooled, that first quote -- the one where AT&T's CEO makes it clear that the company's plan is to chisel away at Internet freedom -- is still what's planned. But with Congress contemplating the prevention of these abuses, it's extremely interesting to see this current ploy.

Here's more:

Edward Whitacre, whose comments initially ignited the debate over whether new laws were needed to preserve network neutrality, said here on Tuesday that fears his company and other big network providers would block traffic on their networks are overblown. "Any provider that blocks access to content is inviting customers to find another provider," he said. "And that's just bad business." "AT&T will not block or degrade traffic, period," he said. "And we won't change (our position) no matter what sky-is-falling rhetoric you hear. Markets work best when consumers have choices." FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that he believes the FCC's existing principles are sufficient to address problems that may arise should network operators block traffic. "I think the FCC has authority to act," he said. "And it has done so in the past." Chairman Martin also said he supports the right for network operators to differentiate their networks and prioritize traffic on their networks. "We need to make sure we have a regulatory environment (in which network operators) can invest in the network and can recoup their costs," he said.

From:http://news.com.com

* FCC Chair Says Commission Has Authority To Enforce Net Neutrality
* Disney's Iger: No Net Neutrality Laws Needed