The Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Kevin Martin, may have come up with the only feasible plan to combat the highly profitable Internet pornography industry. Martin wants to provide free wireless Internet service to all Americans and is pushing the plan this month. His only stipulation is, porn can't be offered up through government-sanctioned Wifi.
As the WSJ reports, "The proposal to allow a no-***, free wireless Internet service is
part of a proposal to auction off a chunk of airwaves. The winning
bidder would be required to set aside a quarter of the airwaves for a
free Internet service. The winner could establish a paid service that
would have a fast wireless Internet connection."
Of course, the porn-free Internet plan is not without its wrinkles. Consumer advocates argue that banning any content is akin to barring free speech, even if that speech is expressed without any clothes on.
But is not paying for Internet service while sipping a Chai latte at Starbucks worth relinquishing your daily dose of X-tube? It's not as if the porn is being banned; it simply won't be free from the government. Users can still get all the images they want from their home, iPhone, or Congressional office.
Of course, the free service could end up being slower, were it required to filter out X-rated materials. To address such concerns, the FCC has proposed that adults could be granted access to all Internet sites. That's sure to keep the porn lobby happy - yes, there is such a lobby for that as well.
Not surprisingly, the wireless industry objects to the entire free
Internet plan. According to the WSJ:
"T-Mobile USA, in particular, has raised concerns. The Deutsche Telekom
AG unit paid about $4 billion a few years ago for nearby airwaves and
has complained that the free wireless Internet plan will likely result
in interference for consumers of its new 3G wireless network. The FCC
dismissed the company's interference concerns this fall, although
T-Mobile disagreed with that finding."
Given the Obama administration's desires to make government transparent and accessible for all, it appears this proposal might carry into the next administration's to-do list. After all, how can you have a "Google for government" with no Internet access?
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