Tim Wu sent this email in response to libertarian concerns on this issue.

I believe that thinking libertarians fear two types of centralized power: that exercised by government, and that exercised by government-supported monopolistic incumbents, like AT&T.

The Network Neutrality debate is really a debate about what are, in effect, crown corporations, AT&T and Verizon, whose plans would distort private competition among internet service providers.  Companies like AT&T are infrastructure providers, almost like the roads — and their plans are very much simple tollbooths placed on a utility necessary for the operation of the private market.  That’s why I think even libertarians have reason to resist the incursions of a company like AT&T on the internet and its design.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 22nd, 2006 at 12:01 pm and is filed under libertarian.-->