Copowi, which stands for Community Powered Internet, is exploring an alternative way of accessing the Internet, with “affordable, open and fair” service by adopting net neutrality principals.
The ISP, which is currently offering DSL, hopes to expand into 700MHz wireless. They claim:
- A guaranteed commitment to keeping the Internet open and fair.
- All profits are returned back into the community.
- Open, meaning that all materials, systems and software we develop will be available to others under a public license.
They’ve partnered with wholesale Internet service providers in 12 Western states. Now they want to go national—even international, says Arstechnica. According to Matafonov, the major telecommunications companies want to “privatize the Internet” because greater control leads to greater profits. The eventual outcome could become something more like cable television than like the open Internet we know now, and Copowi strongly supports SavetheInternet.com’s campaign to preserve an open ‘Net.
Copowi doesn’t own any “last-mile” lines to people’s homes, explains ArsTechnica, which means that it needs to lease DSL lines from local telcos in order to offer service. That makes his wholesale rates comparatively high, but he hopes that a small niche of customers will be willing to pay the premium for a guaranteed neutral connection.
[Thanks, Roger]
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“The eventual outcome could become something more like cable television than like the open Internet we know now”
I’m sorry, but this is a meaningless statement. Unless one believes that ISPs would shut down access to all but a handful of pre-approved websites, that is. But as a marketing ploy… I’ve heard worse.
Good luck to Copowi and their new business — best of luck to them, and they’ll need it at that price point. But this sounds about as sketchy as carbon offsets — an expensive way for a consumer to show that they care, without actually changing the situation.
Disclosure: I work for Hands Off the Internet on net neutrality issues.
Left by LookMaNoHands on August 21st, 2007