Re:Appeals court upholds FCC's net neutrality order
by webXL on Tuesday June 14, 2016 @06:53PM
(#11906000)
So Paolonerd [1] comes in last October and adds his observation to this relatively flimsy wikipedia entry and we're supposed to all just accept that definition. I see.
> A public utility (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service.
Who is the organization that maintains the infrastructure of the Internet? Does it include my cable modem? My router? Why or why not?
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Paoloner...
According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_utility:
Broadband internet services (both fixed-line and mobile) are increasingly being included within the definition.
As for which things are "truly necessary", that definition is not universal. In The Netherlands, over 90% of consumer banking by now is done over the Internet. That has lead to the closing of over 30% of bank branch offices, with associated cost savings. Those savings would not have been possible had Internet access not been classified as a public utility, because bank access was similarly regulated.