Network Neutrality is at Risk

I scanned the Save The Internet site and am quite concerned. I'm sure if the large Telecom companies have their way Network Neutrality will be gone. That will affect all of us. Persimmon Telecommunications is successful because most customers find our web sites via searches on Google or one of the other popular search engines. Even though some of the services that we sell are directly from the large Telecom companies, I suspect they would not allow web sites like that of Persimmon Telecommunications to have any priority. Certainly, I expect they would not give us priority if we continue selling services from their competitors.

One great advantage of the web as it is today is that anyone with an idea or concept can discuss it on the web and, if a lot of people find the idea or concept, of interest, it will be given more attention on the web. If the large Telecom companies have their way, the ideas, concepts, products and services that you will be able to readily read about on the web will be from those who can pay the most. It'll be something like the ads that you see during the SuperBowl. Sure the products might be great products, but you are only going to hear about the products there that have huge financial backing. Of course, any product or service that is sold with a large advertising budget is sold with the price inflated to pay for that advertising budget.

I joined the coalition and plan to support it by contacting congressman, etc. What about you?

The US Treasury Department has retroactively repealed the Excise Tax on Long Distance Calls

Today, the US Treasury Department retroactively repealed the 3% Excise Tax on Long Distance calls that was established in 1898 as a "luxury" tax to finance the Spanish-American war. On 2006 tax returns due next year, consumers and businesses will be able to apply for refunds of the Long Distance Excise tax collected from them over the past three years. For more information on this tax repeal, see Treasury Department Repeals Excise Tax on Long-Distance Calls and Phone Tax Laid to Rest at Age 108. You may have to register at the New York Times site to read the latter but registration is free. This change results in a savings on Long Distance calls made from landline phones, VoIP phones and Cell Phones.